Light Among Heartless
by Sytrik
Summary: [Ansem-Kairi] Strange, I know. Somewhat AU. Ansem's power has been transferred to Sephiroth, forcing Sora to accept Ansem's help. Not for rabid Sora lovers... Slight OOCness
1. Restoration

Disclaimer: I don't even own my own copy of the game, *sniff.  
  
Hey, everyone. This fic has been sitting in the back of my mind staring at me since the day I registered with fanfiction.net. I'm just gonna say this once, if you don't like the pairing, tough luck. Don't come ranting after me cuz Ansem pissed you off in the game and you hate to see him get his break. Perhaps if you truly despise him , you should go somewhere and reread the Ansem Reports, you might learn things.   
  
And for those of you who read this and enjoy it, I thank you. Even if you don't like Ansem, I hope you enjoy my story anyway. Please review after you read, I appreciate all reviews I receive. Constructive criticism is welcome anytime.  
  
~~~~  
  
Ansem stood looking out across Hollow Bastion from his balcony. He could feel the warm rays of the sun filtering through the early morning clouds. Slowly, he held up his hands, examining them for a third time that day and reaching out to flex them experimentally.   
  
"Amazing.." He whispered to himself, lowering his hands and lifting his face to the sky. He watched the fluffy golden clouds float past, closing his eyes for a moment. Silently, he darted forward, leaping from the balcony and opening his eyes as he watched the water below rush toward him. He grinned in pleasure as he felt himself begin to slow down, flipping in midair and coming to an abrupt stop, still a quarter of a mile from the water.   
  
Above him, he could hear several Heartless, sniffing around for him on the balcony, wondering where their master had gone. His grin faded, and he began sinking down toward the shimmering water, landing with a soft splash as his boots touched. He looked down, watching the small waves flick around his boots as he began walking across the expanse.   
  
Large, golden mountains of clouds loomed across the sea, melting into the waters to form a seemingly endless horizon. Focusing on them, Ansem began running. He sped up until he felt he was moving as fast as possible, dashing across the open waves and leaving ripples in his wake.   
  
After running for several minutes, he gasped in anguish, the horizon still as far off as ever. In a sudden frustrated move, he crouched down, launching himself back into the air. He closed his eyes as he rocketed upward, feeling the chill of the air as it rushed past him. He opened his eyes when he hit a cloud, the moisture soaking through him. Clouds flying past him, he continued upward, finally bursting through the layers and stopping as the sun hit him. He couldn't move. It was so beautiful, he had never seen anything like it, the sun hanging low over an ocean of gold and silver, he floated in midair, watching the scene.  
  
After what felt like hours, Ansem slowly floated back down through the atmosphere, heading back to Hollow Bastion. He still had work to do.  
  
~*~  
  
Riku paced his room weakly, he collapsed on the floor every few minutes, but he was determined to find a way out. He had no idea what Ansem was planning now that Kingdom Hearts had been sealed, especially since Kingdom Hearts had turned out to be light instead of Ansem's theory of it being born of darkness.   
  
He slammed his fist into the wall in anger and frustration, immediately regretting it when he collapsed on the floor, not even possessing enough strength to massage his bruised hand. He stared up at the ceiling above him, by this time having memorized the intricate design embossed on the tiles. He mentally slapped himself, unable to believe that he had been so stupid. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes, focusing on the events leading up to his capture.   
  
It must have been two years earlier, back when he had first been sealed in Kingdom Hearts. It hadn't taken him and King Mickey long to escape, emerging into a futuristic world that had puzzled Riku. King Mickey had taken him back to his castle, where he had lived for a year and a half before Sora, Donald, and Goofy had shown up.   
  
He smiled when he remembered the look on Kairi's face when he and Sora and appeared on her doorstep. She had cried. A year later, they had received the news, Ansem had emerged again, taking up residence in Hollow Bastion. Riku had immediately stolen the gummi ship and gone to see for himself, foolishly ready to take on Ansem alone after what he had done to him. In short, when he confronted Ansem and challenged him, he had gotten his ass kicked.   
  
He still didn't understand it, reliving the fight over and over again in his mind. Why had Ansem let him live? Why hadn't he tried turning him into a Heartless to send against Sora and King Mickey? It went against everything Riku knew about Ansem, there was no explanation for keeping him alive, and giving him his own bedroom! Of course, he wasn't allowed to leave the room, but it was obviously intended for royalty.   
  
Riku mustered his strength and managed to get up and limp over to the bed, flopping down on the king-sized mattress. He wondered how long it would take for Sora to realize he was here, and whether or not he would come after his friend a second time…  
  
~*~  
  
Ansem watched as the large gummi ship landed in the Rising falls, several figures jumping out hastily. He turned and began making his way down to the hall, waiting to receive his "visitors".   
  
~*~  
  
"No! Kairi! Hold it! Aaa-!" Sora cried, bounding forward to try to snatch the back of Kairi's shirt as she stormed forward, his fingers barely brushing the fabric. He cowered in fear when the angry female turned to scowl at him.  
  
"Knock it off, Sora! I can take care of myself! I'm tired of losing friends to this bastard, Riku had better be alright!!" She yelled, spinning on her heal and climbing up to the lift above them.   
  
Sora pouted and rested his keyblade over his shoulder, watching her.   
  
"Aww, she'll be okay. Stop worryin' about her!" Donald quacked, waddling out of the gummi ship after Goofy.   
  
Sora smiled at his two friends, "Thanks for comin', guys." He said, quickly following Kairi as she yelled for them to hurry up.  
  
~*~  
  
Kairi burst through the doors leading to the hall, closely followed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, all prepared for a fight. Ansem stood with his back turned to them, watching the fountain in the middle of the room.   
  
"Where's Riku?!" Kairi demanded, stopping several feet away from him. She hadn't seemed to have lost any of her nerve, and Sora was impressed.  
  
Ansem smiled and turned to face them, "Good afternoon to you, too." He said, pausing for a moment when he made eye contact with Kairi. She had grown a bit since he had last seen her. Her hair was longer now, reaching down past her shoulders. He wondered silently why most girls wore such skimpy skirts, weren't they cold? His gaze was jerked back up to her face when she opened her mouth to continue.  
  
"What have you done to Riku? I know he's here." She asked sternly, still upset, but confused. She had always been told that Ansem was pure evil, using the Heartless to destroy the hearts of worlds simply out of curiosity as to what might happen. Sora had said that Ansem radiates hate and darkness, nearly Heartless himself, however, Kairi didn't sense anything evil about him, he didn't even make her nervous.  
  
He stepped forward, coming as close to Kairi as he thought she would allow him and looked into her eyes. "He's in his room, would you like to go find him, or would you prefer I bring him here?" He asked, a slight tone of bitterness in his voice.   
  
"Get away from her! We'll find him ourselves. Which way?" Sora spat, pulling gently on Kairi's shoulder in what she felt must have been a reassuring way.  
  
Ansem looked distastefully at Sora, but motioned to a staircase to his left. "His bedroom is the fourth door on the right, try not to break anything." Ansem scowled darkly at Sora, who returned the look.  
  
Sora made his way up the stairs, Kairi hesitating before following him up, watching Ansem as he turned to face the fountain again. There was something lonely about him, she shook her head to rid herself of the notion to ask him what was wrong, reminding herself that he was the reason the Heartless were such a problem.  
  
Sora opened the door slowly, looking around for Riku and spotting him still collapsed on the bed. He grinned and leapt onto the bed, making Riku jump.   
  
"Sora?!" he cried, startled at the sudden intrusion. He tried to sit up, but didn't have the strength.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" Kairi asked, kneeling on the bed next to him. She couldn't see any injuries on him but she could tell that he was weak.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, Ansem has been keeping me drugged so I don't try anything." He said bitterly.   
  
Sora thought for a moment before hoisting Riku onto his shoulder and grunting as he stood up. "I guess I'll just-rmmf!- have to carry you!" He said, grinning at Kairi as he started for the door.  
  
~*~*~*~~~ 


	2. Intrusion

Disclaimer: Why does winter have to be so cold?   
  
  
  
I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, I really needed to type this up, the idea has been pestering me for weeks.   
  
Thanks Dimitri Plabato/Drake Dragon for your review! I appreciate your honesty and that you are willing to give me a chance! I'm not sure how old Ansem is, but the thought had crossed my mind. He can't possibly be terribly old, he looked just like Legolas! lol  
  
I hope you guys like this chapter, I'm really happy with how it turned out! Sorry if some people are a little out of character, I never played any of the FF games except a little bit of FF7, so I am trying my hardest with what little glimpses of character you saw in the game.  
  
~~~~  
  
Kairi knelt next to Riku as the gummi ship took off, headed to Traverse Town to rendezvous with Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud, and Cid. Tidus had promised to meet them there later, he was going to straighten things out on Destiny Islands before he, Wakka, and Selphie caught up.  
  
Kairi looked up at Sora, steering the gummi ship while Donald and Goofy fussed over Riku's unconscious form. She stood up and sat in the seat next to him, watching Hollow Bastion disappear below them.   
  
"You felt it too, you had to." She whispered, not wanting the others to hear.   
  
Sora glanced quickly at her, confusion on his face. "What? When?" He asked, not catching on.  
  
Kairi sighed, flopping back into the chair and watching the stars out the window. "So you didn't feel it? When Ansem was close to us… He was just the same as always to you?" She asked, chewing on her lip as she meditated on it.  
  
"Yeah, he was still the same morbid bastard as far as I could tell, why?" Sora was obviously stressed out about the issue of Ansem's return, so Kairi didn't want to press the matter, deciding it was her own overconfidence in people.   
  
"Nothing, forget it.." She stated simply, resting her head on the seat and closing her eyes as she awaited their arrival in Traverse Town.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora gently nudged her awake, laughing as she reached up to slap him away. "Come on! We're here!" He cried, picking her up and dumping her on her feet.  
  
Kairi stumbled and fell against Riku, looking up into her friend's deep turquoise eyes. She smiled happily and hugged him. "You're alright!" She cried, releasing him and bounding off the ship, attaching herself to Yuffie, who had been waiting for her.  
  
Riku shook his head as he watched the two girls giggle as they got reacquainted. He helped Sora unpack their luggage, taking a large duffel bag from him and grabbing his shoulder tightly.   
  
"Hey, thanks. Sorry if I caused you guys any trouble, I just.. didn't want to see him use anyone else like he used me.." He said, looking away shamefully. "Guess I'm not as indestructible as I thought.." He laughed weakly.  
  
Sora stood there for a moment, a look of understanding on his face. "Riku, you're like family to us. We would do anything for you, don't forget it. But next time you feel like stealing a gummi ship and running away, why don't you leave a damn post-it note or something? It took us days to track you down." He smirked at the older male, shuffling past him with Kairi's hastily packed bags.  
  
~*~  
  
The bells of the clock tower could be heard all through town, ringing out to tell everyone that it was one in the morning. Tidus and the other islanders had shown up around eleven, carting huge boxes of snack stuffs and gallons of soda, demanding that they have a party.   
  
A distance odd thump awoke Kairi, and sat up groggily to gaze around the room. She had fallen asleep propped against Squall, shifting her gaze from his sleeping form to Sora and Riku, who were sprawled out awkwardly across the floor, video game controllers still in hand. Yuffie and Aerith had curled up on the bed, while Cloud had propped himself up in the doorway. Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie had collapsed in a random heap on the floor, and just behind them, Cid lay stretched against the wall. She smiled oddly to herself, resting her head back down against Squall.  
  
She jerked her head up again when she hear another thumping sound, closer this time. She thought at first that it was one of the sleeping figures in the room, abandoning that thought when she realized something. The window was open.  
  
Nervously, she scanned the room, her blood freezing when she saw a flicker of shadow against the far wall. Reaching up, she grabbed a hold of Squall's shirt and tugged roughly on it, pulling herself up closer to him in sudden fright. When he didn't stir, she tugged again, more urgently this time. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked down at her, immediately registering the fear in her eyes.  
  
He leaned forward, "What's wrong?" he whispered, following her gaze around the room. She gasped quietly and he put a reassuring arm around her, following her gaze toward the far wall.   
  
"Holy Shit!!" He screamed, flinging himself to his feet as he pulled out the gunblade, leaping to the side and pulling Kairi with him just as a shadow replica of himself crushed the wall.  
  
Startled cries sounded all around the room as the sleeping party was rudely awoken. Squall dodged the Heartless, slicing it in half with one powerful move.  
  
"Sora!!" he yelled, pulling the keyblade master to his feet. "They're everywhere!" He shouted over the sound of grinding metal.   
  
Immediately, weapons appeared around the room, along with dozens of shadow replica heartless, each taking the form of Squall, Cloud, Sora, or Riku.   
  
Cloud spun around, "Tidus, Wakka! Get the girls to safety!" he yelled, covering them as a replica of Riku leapt at Tidus and Selphie.   
  
"No way! We can fight!" Yuffie cried, scowling at Cloud. She was interrupted when Squall and Sora began shoving people toward the door.  
  
"Get out! Run! There are too many!" Sora shouted, shoving Kairi into Wakka.   
  
They burst out the door, weapons flashing in the moonlight. Tidus led the small party through the alley, running to board the gummi ship. Aerith and Selphie pulling Yuffie away from the fight, followed closely by Cid. Wakka followed them, holding Kairi's arm firmly as she struggled to help.   
  
"No! Sora! Riku! Please!! I don't want to lose you again!!" She shrieked, pulling free and dashing back down the street. Wakka spun and caught her around the waist, hoisting her over his shoulder and grunting under the strain of keeping her still. Tidus leapt down from the gummi ship, helping Wakka lower Kairi down and hold her against the floor, trying to keep her from hurting herself.   
  
"Calm down! They'll be fine, you'll only get in the way if you barge into the Heartless like that!!" Tidus shouted at her.   
  
She froze when she heard him say that, remembering what Sora had told her just before he disappeared in End of the World. She had wanted to help then, too, but he had said that she would probably just get in his way. She reached up and grabbed Tidus's shirt, pulling herself up to bury her face in it, sobbing. She cursed herself for being so useless, Sora and Riku had been in trouble again, and once again, she couldn't help them.   
  
Yuffie stormed over, slapping Tidus and pulling Kairi away from him, back to where Selphie and Aerith sat, all three girls trying to calm her down.  
  
"What was that for?!" Tidus howled, holding a hand against his bright red cheek.  
  
Yuffie turned to give him an icy glare. "You made her cry, stupid!" She huffed and turned back to comforting her friend.  
  
"If I made her cry then why did she hug me?" Tidus asked Wakka, extremely confused.   
  
Selphie looked up, "Tidus, you're so insensitive sometimes! Why are you always being such a butt-head?!" She growled, her sharp words stinging him like another slap in the face.  
  
Wakka began laughing at Tidus, who was developing a head ache from trying to figure out what he had done.  
  
"Knock it off, Wakka! You're just as bad as him! Always playing with your stupid little blitzball all day, I bet you wouldn't know sensitivity if it came up and bit you in the neck!!" Selphie shouted, sending both boys into brief depression episodes.  
  
"All right, that's enough." Cid called from the gummi ship controls. "We're just about there." He said, watching the brutal fight below them. Yuffie and Selphie rushed to the window, gazing down at the bloody mess on the street.   
  
"There's Squall and Cloud! Right over there! Can you get to them, Cid?" Yuffie called, pointing down to the left.  
  
"Hold on.." He said, the ship dropping suddenly, everyone but Cid letting out little startled gasps. He looked over his shoulder, opening the side door from the controls.   
  
"Wakka, Tidus, get out there and give them some cover as they climb aboard!" He called, the two boys nodding.  
  
The door finished opening and the two boys jumped out, calling out for Squall and Cloud to hurry.A Heartless dropped down onto Tidus, biting his shoulder viciously. He screamed in agony and Wakka kicked it off, pulling his friend to his feet and helping the two older males leap aboard. The door slammed shut behind them, locking the Heartless out. Cid brought the gummi ship back up and circled around the town, trying to locate the two missing boys.   
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	3. Confession

Disclaimer: Insert cool disclaimer here.  
  
I don't really know if anyone is actually reading this story, I hope it's okay. I'm really enjoying writing it anyway, so I guess that's really what matters. Please review after you read.  
  
I'm not really thrilled with how this chapter came out, but I guess it's okay. This fic is gonna be a lot longer than I originally expected, not that I'm complaining or anything. And again, thank you, Dimitri Plabato/Drake Dragon, you seem to be the only person reading this.:/ Meh, I'm glad you like it so far, I will do my best! *determined shiny eyes*  
  
~~~~  
  
Sora and Riku ducked into the second district, trying to get away from the mass of Heartless. There were far too many to fight, more appearing every few feet.   
  
"Damn! What are going to do, Sora?!" Riku shouted, wiping the blood from his face as they sprinted down the alley.   
  
Sora tripped, looking back to see a shadow Riku holding onto his ankle. He swung his keyblade at it, severing its arm. He struggled to his feet and spun around.  
  
"Shit!" He exclaimed, realizing that they were surrounded. The shadow replicas closed in around them, grinning in triumph and hate.   
  
Sora backed up, slamming into Riku. They exchanged grim smiles and nodded in appreciation of each other.  
  
"I guess we'll just have to make a stand. Come on, Sora, we can take 'em, easy!" Riku laughed nervously, looking over his shoulder at his friend. "But just in case, I think you should know, I was always jealous of you." He added, lowering his voice.  
  
"What?" Sora asked, baffled by Riku's confession. "You're the one everyone respects! You're the invincible Riku!" Sora's voice faltered as he continued, "Back on Destiny Islands, nobody could beat you, not even when we ganged up on you! Then when I got the keyblade, and became the keyblade master, I thought for once, that maybe, I could be just as strong as you.. And when I found out that you were supposed to have gotten the keyblade in the first place, it was infuriating! Even as the keyblade master, I wasn't as strong as you!! What could you possibly be jealous of..?" He paused to wipe a streak of blood from his neck.  
  
"God, Sora. I'll never understand you. I'd give anything to be you. What's strength and respect when you still can't get the one thing you really want?" He laughed bitterly, "She always loved you. I don't know why, but she only loved you."   
  
Sora looked at his friend, concerned and a little confused. "Who? Kairi?" He asked, realization dawning on him. "Kairi.. Loved me? How do you know?"   
  
Riku snorted, "You could see it all over her face, every time she looked at you. Especially after you rescued her from- me… And how when she lost her heart, it went to you."  
  
Sora's eyes widened and he spun to face Riku, catching the pain in Riku's face as he tried to avoid Sora's gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when a Heartless wrapped it's hand around Sora's neck and pulled him into crowd.   
  
"Sora!" Riku cried, barreling after him. He swung his dark keyblade, catching a shadow replica in the jaw. Sora struggled desperately to escape, Heartless gripping his arms so he couldn't use the keyblade. Riku slammed his foot into another Heartless, sending it flying. He punched and kicked his way through, dispatching replicas with the dark keyblade as he pulled Sora away.   
  
"We have to get out of here! There's no way we can beat them all!" Riku cried, pushing Sora up against the stone wall.   
  
"Right, I'm not losing to these bastards." Sora mumbled, attaching the Oblivion key chain and taking up a battle stance. "Let's go!" He cried throwing himself into the Heartless before Riku could stop him.   
  
The Heartless pressed around them, slicing at the two boys with keyblade replicas. Magic attacks seemed to have no affect whatsoever, Sora and Riku relying on their physical skills. Both were exhausted, fighting off the hordes of shadows with failing energy. Suddenly, Riku slipped, sending him down to his knees as he blocked an attack from above. Bad move. A replica of Sora pierced him through the chest with a shadow keyblade. Sora spun around at the sound of Riku's startled shout, a look of horror on his face when he noticed the keyblade protruding from between his best friend's shoulders.  
  
"Riku!!" he screamed, thrown back by a kick. He fought desperately against the wall of Heartless separating him from his wounded friend.   
  
Riku groaned and slipped to the ground, the keyblade vanishing as it was released from it's holder's grasp. Blood soaked the stone around him, splashing thickly as a Heartless stepped forward to finish Riku, raising its keyblade replica for the final blow.  
  
"NO!!" Sora screamed, kicking out at the crowd around him. "RIKU!!" In a desperate move, he leapt forward, keyblade ready. Several Heartless grabbed his right arm, holding the keyblade up as the replica standing over Riku began to bring his weapon down.   
  
"RIKU!!" Sora screamed again, pulling his left arm around, destroying a wave of shadows as Oathkeeper materialized in it. He lunged free, slicing through the Heartless with both keyblades.   
  
He reached Riku just in time, catching the offending Heartless's keyblade with Oblivion, while beheading it with Oathkeeper. The remaining Heartless fell back several paces, avoiding the keyblade master as he crouched over his fallen friend. He brandished the keyblades threateningly, fighting the crowd away from him. They formed an unsteady circle around the two, watching as the keyblades flashed back and forth, Sora's strength beginning to fail.  
  
~*~  
  
"There! Cid hurry up! Riku looks hurt!" Selphie cried, pointing out the window towards the ground, where Sora could be seen, still standing over Riku.  
  
Kairi paced anxiously, Yuffie standing defensively next to her. "I hope they're alright.." She whimpered, not able to bring herself to look out the window.  
  
"Hey, you guys ready? They're completely surrounded, so be prepared." Cid called back to the boys, who were already waiting at the door.  
  
~*~  
  
At the familiar sound of the gummi ship, Sora looked up. He smiled, holding the two keyblades up triumphantly.  
  
"They're here, Riku, we're gonna be alright!" He told the silver-haired boy, who was barely conscious and gasping for breath.   
  
Taking advantage of the Heartless' distraction, Sora cast curaga on Riku, watching him double up in pain as his chest knit itself back together. He smiled distantly as Riku managed to pull himself to his feet, holding a hand to his chest and still gasping.  
  
"Thanks, Sora.." He choked, watching the gummi ship descend towards them. "Sora..?" He looked back, catching a glimpse as Sora collapsed weakly on the stone, his keyblades disappearing back into key chains.  
  
The gummi ship landed roughly several feet from where Riku stood. The door slid open and Squall and Cloud jumped out, meeting the Heartless head-on as they surged forward to attack. Wakka and Tidus jumped out next, Tidus helping Riku aboard as Wakka picked Sora up, leaping back in and calling to the others.   
  
Cloud lunged forward and pulled himself back in, catching Squall by the arm as the gummi ship began to rise. The two males collapsed on board as the door slammed shut, the ship lurching as it rose above the city, disappearing into the sky.   
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	4. Rebellion

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.  
  
Thanks, D-Dragon, I really appreciate it. Is it alright if I refer to you as D-Dragon? Your name is just so long! lol  
  
Sorry the action scene was crappy, I'm really bad with sword-like action. Okay, to improve the future action scenes, Sora and everyone now know some martial arts, m'kay? Martial arts I can do, but it's so hard to describe what people are doing with their weapons and make it sound right. Did it get any better toward the end of the chapter, when Sora pulled the Oathkeeper out of his interdimensional pocket? I was getting bored with the fighting, so I decided to take.. I dunno, somebody's advice and throw a little dual keyblade action in. Well I thought it made it more interesting. Didn't make much sense, but I guess it'll work…  
  
I really like the direction this story is moving in, it's gonna be hella long, but that's alright. Shouldn't take too long to finish, tho, all I want to do is write in it. I guess I'll shut up now that I'm ranting, so please enjoy the story!  
  
Just a quick heads up, this chapter is a little boring. Not too much happens and it's pretty short, but it's got some interesting points to it. Next chapter should be better, I'll go write that and see if I can post it tonight.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The sun was setting at Hollow Bastion, casting long red and orange streaks across the sky. Ansem leaned out over the balcony, watching the horizon as the water below reflected the brilliant colors in the heavens. Movement down to his left caught his eye, moving towards the left side of the balcony to get a better look. Down below on the walkway, small shadow Heartless gathered, shuffling back and forth, antennas wriggling.  
  
They filed quickly out of the main entrance, crowding together and shuddering. Ansem watched in wonderment as shadow replicas rose from the stone, grinning morbidly as they wandered into the hall.   
  
Anger rose up in Ansem, and he stormed back through the castle and burst into the hall.  
  
The replicas were loitering dumbly on the stairs, surrounded by the small shadow Heartless.   
  
"What were you doing?" He asked, not expecting and answer. "I ordered you to stay here until our next plan of action was confirmed!" He examined the replicas, they didn't looked too great. They had obviously been fighting with something.   
  
"Let me see that." He ordered, reaching a hand down towards one replica's keyblade. He inspected it, wiping the blood from the tip and glaring angrily at his minions.   
  
"Damn, you just couldn't help yourselves. I had hoped to avoid his involvement in this issue." He looked thoughtfully at the blood for a moment. A spear materialized in his hand and he made short work of the offending Heartless, turning his back on the rest.   
  
"Stay away from the keyblade unless I order you to go after it!" He hissed, disappearing up the stairs.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora leaned tiredly against the wall of the gummi ship, trying to avoid the anxious looks from the rest of the group.   
  
"So what's the plan? We can't just fly around in this thing for the rest of our lives!" Tidus blurted, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the ship.  
  
Squall looked at him, sighing. "We can't do anything, we don't know what Ansem is plotting." He said, "We know he's after the keyblade again, but that's it. It's not enough to go on."  
  
Riku ran his hand thoughtfully over his chest, feeling the spot where the shadow keyblade had pierced him hours before. "There was something different about the Heartless," He said, everyone turning to stare at him expectantly.   
  
"I dunno, it just seems like they were, chaotic or something." He sighed, his hand dropping back down and resting against the floor next to his leg.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, flexing his wing and staring intently at Riku.  
  
"Well.. They didn't seem to know what they were doing. They were just attacking, no battle strategies whatsoever. They didn't even appear in a strategic fashion, just showed up wherever you were." He said, looking up at Cloud.  
  
Yuffie snorted, "So? Don't they always? What's the big deal?" She asked, leaning heavily on Squall.  
  
A light blush colored Riku's cheeks, "Maybe it's nothing, but when Ansem used me, he always had a plan for each of the Heartless, mapping out who did what, where and when. It just seemed to me like they knew who their enemies were, and they wanted the keyblade."  
  
"Soooo, what does that mean?" Selphie asked, exchanging confused glances with Yuffie.  
  
Riku sighed, resting his forehead against his knees. "I have no idea." He stated dully.  
  
"We need to go see the King." Sora said, facing the window.  
  
"The King? King Mickey? Why?" Tidus asked, disappointed when Sora ignored him.  
  
Squall jumped up. "Of course! The King has the other keyblade! He might know what's going on! Cid?" He turned to Cid, who was already making his way to the controls to set their destination.  
  
With a new option ahead for them, everyone on board relaxed, except for Sora. He continued to stare out the window, worrying silently to himself. Pulling the Oathkeeper key chain out of his pocket, he inspected it. Two keyblades? He had no idea how he had done it, but it had really drained him. He would ask the King about it as soon as he got a chance, turning back to his friends and trying to be his usual cheery self again.  
  
~*~  
  
Goofy watched happily as the large gummi ship landed, the wind from it knocking him back into Donald.   
  
"Whoa! Hyuck! Sorry, Donald!" he laughed, stumbling to his feet and rushing forward to great his friends.  
  
"Goofy! Donald! Did you miss me already?" Sora laughed, jumping down and hugging his two friends.   
  
"Ahem! The King has been waiting, Sora. Follow me." Donald quacked, trying to sound as important as possible.   
  
Sora turned and called to his companions, who were hurrying to catch up. Donald led them through the castle, finally stopping in front of a massive door. He knock loudly on it, puffing out his small chest as the huge doors swung open.   
  
"Your majesty, I present Sora, the keyblade master, and his companions." Donald bowed graciously, scowling darkly when Goofy shoved past him laughing.   
  
"Mornin', Mickey!" Goofy called across the room, waving cheerfully to the small mouse, seated happily in his throne.   
  
Mickey leapt down from his throne, walking quickly down the aisle and waving back, "Mornin' Goofy!" He replied, smiling brightly. He approached Sora, shaking his hand. "Welcome, Sora, I'm glad you're alright! We had quite a scare when we realized the Heartless were after you!" He sounded relieved that Sora and his friends had made it safely.  
  
"Did they attack you, too?" Sora asked, his voice anxious.   
  
Mickey nodded solemnly, "Yes, and had it not been for Donald's powerful protection spells, they might have broken into the castle! Now come, let's take this discussion out into the garden, it's beautiful out there this time of year!" He smiled brightly again and led the group down the corridor, walking through a door and emerging in a vast garden.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	5. Realization

Disclaimer: I don't own it!  
  
This information gathering is killing me! I really want to get into the storyline, so I am gonna try to get through this as fast as possible, I wish I had a better computer chair.. L  
  
I hope you are enjoying the story, and I'll try to cut back on saying that, cuz I know I say it too often. This chapter still isn't very exciting, but I thought it was interesting. I looked up some info from ansemreport.com. I can't remember who told me about that, but thanks! It's a very cool website with lots of info on KH II.  
  
Thanks D-Dragon and minamotogirl for your reviews! I know it's late, but I can't stop writing chapters! I'm stuck on Riku's Silence right now, and I hope to get back to Labyrinth soon, but I like this story so much it's driving me crazy!  
  
And just a note, I'm not trying to make Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie look clueless, I'm just accenting on the fact that they weren't exactly present during Kingdom Hearts, so naturally, they would know the least about it.  
  
~~~~  
  
Everyone was seated comfortably in the garden, resting on the soft grass. King Mickey had discussed the Heartless attack with Sora, and he and Riku had thought of the same thing, the Heartless had been acting strangely.   
  
They had just finished their lunch break, everyone trying to stay awake as they continued on with their meeting. Tidus interrupting the brief silence to ask King Mickey something that had been bothering him.  
  
"So, you have a keyblade, too?" He asked, looking up questioningly at Mickey.   
  
The King laughed, "Yes, do you find that confusing?" he watched as Tidus nodded, looking form him to Sora and back again. "Well, you see, there can be more than one keyblade, so long as there is a single keyblade master. Now, the keyblade master, obviously, is the most powerful, at least, wielding the most powerful keyblade. Does that make sense?" He asked, laughing as Tidus slowly nodded, looking around at Selphie and Wakka, who were equally confused.   
  
He sighed, scratching his ear and trying to think up a better explanation. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his kingdom key chain, producing his keyblade and showing Tidus. He nodded encouragingly at Sora and Riku, who also produced their keyblades, holding them at their sides.  
  
"Okay, uh.. Well, think of it this way. There are many different types of Heartless, right? And to destroy them, there are many different types of keyblades. Sora and I hold of the three known keyblades, while Riku holds the third, which is capable of unlocking people's hearts. Now, the most powerful keyblade sought out Sora, making him the keyblade master. There can only be one keyblade master, as Riku and Sora found out at Hollow Bastion. Do you get it now?"   
  
Tidus thought for a minute, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense.. But why did the Heartless attack Sora in Traverse Town?"   
  
The King smiled, "Good question! The Heartless have a great fear of the keyblade, so they constantly seek to take the heart of whoever wields one." He stated simply.  
  
Selphie giggled, "Oh! I get it! Oh, sorry." She clamped her hands over her mouth.  
  
Riku looked at the King, "You said we have three known keyblades?"   
  
Mickey looked surprised to receive such a question from Riku, considering he should know more about the keyblades than anyone. "Yes, we have records of three keyblades. You, Sora, and me each holding one. Why do you ask?"   
  
Riku looked down at Sora, who looked away from the group, suddenly very interested in the air next to his feet.  
  
"Sora, why don't you show the king that neat little trick you learned back in Traverse? I'm sure he'd find it really interesting, and it might have something to do with the attack." He nudged his friend.   
  
Sora looked up at the King, who looked back at him with curiosity. Sighing in defeat, he held up his left hand, the Oathkeeper materializing in it.   
  
There was an audible gasp as everyone stared at Sora. He rested the Oathkeeper by his leg, playing with Oblivion absently. He gave the King his trademark grin and blushed, very aware of the looks he was receiving from around the garden.   
  
"Sora, how did you do that?" Mickey asked, jumping up and rushing over to examine to two keyblades.  
  
Sora looked slightly startled, "I don't know, it just sort of, happened." he looked down at the King.  
  
"How? During the attack? What happened?" He pressed, fiddling with the keyblade.  
  
Sora shrugged, "Well, I saw Riku get stabbed through the chest, and I thought I was about to lose him." His blush deepened as the girls made cute sounds, remarking on the lies about male insensitivity. "The Heartless were all around me, and I knew Riku was about to die if I didn't do something, but Oblivion was pinned. I had to do something, but I didn't know what, then I heard Kairi's voice in my head. She was crying, and she said she wanted to help. I remembered telling her a long time ago, that she would just get in my way. So she gave me her lucky charm, and told me to use it to help Riku. So I pulled it out of my pocket, and summoned a keyblade. I don't really understand it…" He finished, locking eyes with Kairi.  
  
"He passed out after casting curaga on me, he's obviously not strong enough to wield two keyblades, which suggests that he has them by accident." Riku added, watching Sora worriedly.  
  
Sora gave him a small pout, "I'm strong! I can deal!" He claimed, trying to stop his hands from shaking.  
  
"Look, it's already draining your energy, put them away." Riku commanded, grabbing Sora's shoulder to steady him.  
  
The two keyblades turned back into their key chain forms, Sora stuffing them quickly into his pockets.  
  
"Interesting. Very interesting." Mickey thought for a moment, pondering the reasons why Sora might have wound up with a second keyblade.  
  
"That's very important, I'm sure, but what do we do about Ansem?" Squall asked, interrupting the King's thoughts.   
  
"Yeah! We need to stop him now, before he tries anything else!" Yuffie cried, jumping to her feet.  
  
"Hmmm, I suppose a confrontation is in order…" Mickey stated.   
  
"A confrontation? You mean we're actually going to talk to him before we try anything?" Sora asked, nervous at the thought of trying to talk peacefully with the Heartless King.  
  
"Of course! Why? Would you prefer to rush blindly into battle?" Selphie scoffed.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Sora shot back. "I mean, how do we know he won't pull something while we're right in the middle of his fortress?"  
  
Squall and the others winced at the sound of their previous home being referred to as 'Ansem's Fortress'.  
  
"Sora's right, we need to take precautions against unsuspected attack." Riku agreed, waving his dark keyblade violently.   
  
"All right then, we need to plan this carefully." Mickey commanded, putting his keyblade away and pulling out a pad of paper.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	6. Confrontation

Disclaimer: I think just posting the word 'disclaimer' suggests that I don't own it.  
  
  
  
Ugh! I'm really thirsty, but I don't wanna go downstairs to get a soda cuz my daddy will yell at me for still being awake. So I guess I will just suffer. *sigh  
  
Thank you, lovely reviewers! I love my reviewers…  
  
Here is yet another, wondrous chapter. lol, I am so addicted to this story that it's spooky. Heh, spooky.  
  
~~~~  
  
Sora watched out the window as Hollow Bastion came into view ahead of them. Cid landed the gummi ship carefully on the platform at Rising Falls, not bothering to shut it down.   
  
"Okay, we're here. Now get out, you bunch of free-loaders." Cid growled, opening the door and watching the group disembark. "And watch it out there!" He added as Squall climbed out and shut the door behind him.  
  
And so they began their climb to the lift. Sora in the lead, followed closely by Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy. Next came the three remaining islanders, and then Squall, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie.  
  
"I don't see why Cid can't drop us off on the walkway un there!" Selphie complained, pointing up toward Hollow Bastion.  
  
Sora and Riku shook their heads, ignoring her. They had to take the lift in turns, Sora and his group going first, followed immediately by Squall and his friends, along with Tidus. Together, they marched across the walkway, Sora and Riku flinging the doors to the hall open as they entered, stopping to look around as soon as they were inside.  
  
"What now?" Kairi whispered, gazing around at the silent room.  
  
"Over there, you see it?" Riku whispered to Sora, pointing toward a tiny shadow Heartless, bobbing back and forth next to the stairs.  
  
It ambled a few steps up the stairs, stopping to turn around and wriggle its antennae at them.  
  
"I think it wants us to follow it." Yuffie whispered, crouching behind Riku.  
  
Sora snorted, brushing past the silver-haired boy and walking toward the stairs. The others followed his lead, keeping close together in the dark hall. The small Heartless stopped outside the door to the library, looking expectantly up at Sora. He opened the door and stepped through, watching the Heartless vanish into the shadows.   
  
Ansem stood on the far side of the library, his back turned to them and an open book lying on the table. He flipped the page silently, examining the text before flipping the page again. After a moment, he closed the book, placing it back on the shelf and turning to face Sora and his companions.  
  
"Ah, Welcome, Sora. You're earlier than I expected." he said, a hint of mockery in his voice.   
  
"Save it, Ansem. What are you planning?" Sora demanded, prepared to draw his keyblade if the need arose.   
  
"Planning? You suspect me of plotting against you? What is it you really came for, Sora?" He laughed, pretending to play innocent.  
  
"Your Heartless attacked us, less than a day ago. Why did you send them after us and what is it you're after now?" Sora growled, stepping closer to his enemy.  
  
Ansem looked him directly in the eye, a serious look on his face. "I assure you, keyblade master, I had nothing to do with your little ordeal." Ansem stated, turning to examine the bookshelf.  
  
"Stop lying, Ansem! You're the Heartless King, they answer to you alone! We want some answers. Now. We want to know what it is you're after, and we want an explanation for the unprovoked attacks on Sora and King Mickey! If you continue this inhumane treatment and experimentation on the Heartless, we are prepared to take forceful action." Kairi stated bravely, stepping in front of Sora and glaring at Ansem.  
  
Ansem stared blankly at Kairi, such an authority figure, what was she doing hanging around that clumsy Sora? He stepped closer to her, leaning down to look at her, eye level.   
  
"Forceful action?" He laughed, "You will take forceful action with me no matter what I do. Don't try tricking yourself into thinking you're giving me a choice. Either I follow you willingly, or you begin to fight back, is that what you mean?" He stepped back, his attention returned to the bookshelf.  
  
Sora grabbed Kairi's shoulder, pulling her back as he stepped protectively in front of her. She angrily stomped her foot, "Sora! Stop it! I can take care of myself!" She yelled at him, spinning around and facing their friends.  
  
"You! Out!" She snapped. The group loitered, exchanging glances. "OUT!" She yelled, pointing at the door. The group reluctantly hurried out the door, slamming it behind them.  
  
Kairi spun back around, facing Sora and Ansem. Both males had surprised looks on their faces, Ansem recovering first and quickly averting his gaze back toward the shelf.  
  
"Kairi..?" Sora began, stopping when he received an icy glare.  
  
"Now, Ansem. Why did you send those Heartless after the Sora and the King?" She began again, speaking softly.  
  
He turned, sighing as he glared at Sora, quickly looking back down to Kairi. "Kairi." He paused, startled at hearing himself say her name. "I did not send them after your friends."  
  
She looked deeply into his eyes, taking in the orange and yellow. She didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help but trust him.  
  
"Sora.." She turned to her friend, cut off when she noticed movement on the floor and stairs above them. "What..?" She began, jumping back when Heartless replicas of Sora stepped from the shadows.   
  
Sora looked up. "You fucking liar! Can't even have a decent conversation with you!" He spat, producing his keyblade and taking up a battle stance.  
  
Kairi looked up at Ansem, expecting a look of triumph. She was shocked to see something entirely different when she looked at him, he was surprised. Not only surprised, but confused.  
  
He looked back down at her, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the Heartless dove from the top floor to lunge at Sora and Kairi.   
  
Sora blocked as one leapt at him, throwing it back into another replica. Three more jumped on him, bringing him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Another came up behind Kairi, grabbing her roughly by the arm and grinning as it held her still, preparing to strike with its keyblade. She struggled to pull away, twisting her arm as its grip tightened. She screamed in pain, falling to the ground as her legs were kicked out form under her. The keyblade was brought back, ready to strike. She struggled desperately to get away, another wave of pain coursing through her arm as it was twisted. Suddenly, Ansem's boot collided with the Heartless, throwing it back against the wall.   
  
He bent down and hauled Kairi roughly to her feet, pulling her through the crowd of Heartless to Sora, who was still pinned. He shoved her away, glaring sharply at the Heartless. Slowly, they backed away from Sora, hissing at him, but obeying their master. Sora scrambled to his feet Oathkeeper materializing as he prepared to lunge at Ansem. Kairi stopped him.   
  
"Come on, Sora! We have to get out of here!" She cried, moving toward the door as the Heartless backed away.   
  
He reluctantly followed her, shoving the door open and barreling out into the hall.  
  
Kairi turned to take one last look into the library, startled when she saw Ansem back against the bookcase, the Heartless hissing and crowing around him. She shook her head and leapt over the banister after Sora, following her friends out onto the walkway. Halfway to the lift, she stopped.   
  
"This isn't right…" She mumbled, turning back to look into the hall, faint crashing coming from the open library doors.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sora.." She whispered, turning and dashing back inside.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	7. Confusion

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft and Disney.  
  
Whoot! Big storm supposed to come in tonight, snow, freezing rain, you know. Either way, I'm sick, so I am home. Not feeling well. Is it a bad sign when sleeping makes you nauseous?   
  
Anyway, I hope the story is alright so far, things are about to get kinda hectic. I got tired of making it up as I went and drew up outlines for the story, it should get better soon! * sigh, it's absolutely freezing in my room, but I can't stand to have open doors around me. It's like being afraid of clowns, kinda hard to explain.  
  
Thank you reviewers! Especially to Drake, I'm glad you're happy with how they turned out! Akiramage makin' me blush… ^.^ I love you guys!  
  
  
  
~~~~  
  
The hall was empty and silent when Kairi opened the doors, making her way cautiously back up the stairs to the library. It was fairly quiet inside, the only noise the hushed whispers of the Heartless. Kairi stood outside, wondering urgently what she should do, finally mustering her courage and peeking around the broken door frame.  
  
Ansem sat propped against the bookshelf, panting lightly and glaring darkly at the crowd of Heartless surrounding him. A thin red line was the only hint of the brief struggle, marking Ansem's jaw. It appeared that he was arguing with the Heartless, but Kairi couldn't properly hear. She caught bits and pieces of his statement, something about following orders. The Heartless hissed angrily at him, replicas of the keyblade appearing around the room as the tension between them grew.  
  
Kairi held her breath, silently urging him to leave the matter alone. However, he persisted. There was an obvious tone of bitterness in his voice as he reminded them that he was their master. Several of the Heartless looked uneasy, as though contemplating whether or not to obey him. Seven turned and vanished back into the shadows, receiving disapproving hisses from the remaining replicas.   
  
A Heartless stepped forward, hissing defiantly at Ansem. It sniffed at the air in front of him, pausing after a moment to draw its shadow keyblade. It sneered and spat at his feet, lunging forward to attack.  
  
Ansem quickly rolled to his feet, sidestepping the replica's attack and bringing his fist down on the back of its neck. It howled and collapsed on the floor, sinking into it and appearing above, standing on the bookcase. It smashed its keyblade into the wood, motioning back down to the Heartless.   
  
They smirked, advancing dangerously on Ansem. His spear materialized, and he brandished it in front of himself. His face remained expressionless.  
  
He swung his spear, knocking back three advancing Heartless. The black metal shone as he twirled it around him, blocking a keyblade and piercing its wielder through the chest. He thrust the spear through the handle of another keyblade, disarming his opponent and punching it in the face as he swung around, blocking an attack from behind.   
  
He cried out in pain as a Heartless caught him from the side with a ground combo, paralyzing his right shoulder. His left leg shot out, catching the replica in the stomach. His spear cracked down against a skull, thrusting forward and penetrating another Heartless' throat. One replica took the opportunity to tackle Ansem from behind, bringing him to his knees as he fought it off. In an angry attempt, he threw his spear at a Heartless, missing it by inches at it dodged. Before Ansem could regroup, a replica brought it's foot into his ribs, pain coursing through his body as he gasped to regain his breath.   
  
Mustering his strength, he kicked out, launching himself into the air. He freed himself from the grasp of the Heartless, landing in a crouch against the opposite bookcase. He breathed heavily, blood dripping from multiple lacerations. Standing painfully, he leaned against the shelf, determining his next course of action. The Heartless turning to glare at him as they waited for him to make another move.  
  
~*~  
  
Kairi leaned in the doorway, barely visible from inside the library. She had watched the entire fight, biting back her anger. Why were the Heartless suddenly after Ansem? It didn't make any sense. She wanted to help him, frustrated that she was once again, useless. Why is it that whenever someone needs my help, I'm never able to do anything? She asked herself, mentally beating herself up. Angry tears formed in her eyes, making her slam her fists into her knees and bite her tongue to keep from screaming in frustration.  
  
She jumped when she heard a loud thud, stepping back and staring at the sharp metal point sticking through the wooden door.  
  
Ansem's spear! She cried, rushing to look back around the door. He was pinned to the ground, several Heartless holding him as another kicked him. She clamped her hands over her mouth in horror, she could see red stains seeping under his coat. Somehow, he managed to leap into the air, throwing off the Heartless and landing on the other side of the room against the bookshelf. He looked exhausted, the Heartless were doing something to him. They didn't seem like normal Heartless, the same thing had happened to Sora and Riku. By all means, Ansem should have been more than capable of destroying them already, but instead, here he was. Losing to them, exhausted.  
  
I've got to do something! But what? Kairi thought desperately, looking down at her shaking hands. She looked over her shoulder. The spear! Inhaling deeply, she threw herself out from behind the door, bracing the cracked wood with her foot as she yanked the black metal out. It was heavier than she had expected, and she stumbled slightly as she spun around, facing the Heartless.  
  
Their attention was now turned to her, grinning in amusement as she dashed toward Ansem, standing protectively in front of him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!" He cried, curling an arm around his wounded chest. "This is my battle, you have no place here!"   
  
Kairi ignored him, straining to hold up the spear. Damn, this thing is heavy! She thought, hoisting it up again. Muffled laughter sounded around the Heartless.  
  
A shadow replica lunged forward, knocking the spear out of her hands as another moved in with a follow up attack.  
  
Kairi yelped in surprise as she felt Ansem grab her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and rolling to the side as a shadow keyblade sliced the air where she had been standing. He yanked her roughly to her feet, shoving her to the side as a Heartless leapt at them. Ansem slammed his fist into the top of its head, turning back to Kairi.   
  
"You were a fool to think you could help!" He growled, reaching down to pick up his spear. He leaned heavily on it, fighting to control his anger.   
  
Kairi stood facing him, head bowed and fists clenched at her sides. Angry tears running down her face. "I'm tired of being the tag-along little girl that always needs to be rescued. I want to be able to do something. I just want to help. All of my friends are so strong, why am I being left out? Even Selphie is stronger than me." She looked up to glare icily at him, her body shaking.   
  
The Heartless regrouped for attack, a wave of them rushing in towards Ansem. Kairi closed her eyes.  
  
"Don't you see? I'm tired of being useless! I want to be able to help!" She cried, darting forward and slicing through the wave of Heartless as Oathkeeper materialized in her hands.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	8. Suspicion

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.  
  
No matter what I tried, I just couldn't seem to get this chapter to come out right. *sigh. The power will probably go out tonight, so I wanted to get this up before my computer dies.  
  
Please review! Thank you those who have!  
  
~~~~~  
  
Sora stared blankly out the window, his usual cheerful attitude replaced with a deep feeling of dread. He couldn't understand how Ansem could have returned, he should have been destroyed by the light from Kingdom Hearts. Why had Ansem sent the Heartless after them? What had he been hoping to gain? Could it possibly have been a distraction? But if so, then a distraction from what?   
  
"Damn!" He slammed his fist into the wall. All around the ship people turned their attention away from their own arguments to stare at him.  
  
"Sora?" Selphie whimpered, frightened to see her usually bright and happy friend suddenly so realistic.  
  
"This doesn't make any sense!" He cried, "What the hell is he doing?!" He sank down and rested his back against the wall, sighing.   
  
A tense silence settled over the ship, previous arguments abandoned.   
  
"Kairi, what was it you said about Ansem on the way to Traverse Town?" Sora asked, his head resting against his knees. When he received no answer, he looked up, "Kairi?"   
  
Startled, he leapt to his feet, searching around the ship. "Kairi!?" He cried frantically. "Where is she?!" He looked around at his startled companions, increasing the tension on board.  
  
"Where did you see her last? Did she get on board?" Riku asked, rushing to check if she was on the ship.   
  
"She's not here!" He cried, returning a few minutes later.  
  
"Shit! She must be back at Hollow Bastion!" Sora cried, dashing to the controls.   
  
"What!?!" Yuffie, Aerith, Selphie, Donald, and Tidus cried in unison.   
  
"Gwarsh, Kairi's back there with that Ansem?" Goofy asked worriedly.  
  
"Sora! She was with you! How could you forget about her like that?!" Riku accused, holding his head in his hands and groaning.  
  
Sora ignored him, "Cid, we have to go back!" He demanded, urgency rising in his voice.   
  
"Sorry, kid. We barely have enough fuel to get back to the castle." He said, examining the controls.  
  
Sora howled in anger, spinning around and dropping to the floor. He crouched there on all fours, staring blankly towards the ground. Yuffie let out a choked sob, imagining what horrible things her friend must be going through.  
  
~  
  
Sora was the first to break the uncomfortable silence, uttering a startled gasp and flinging himself up against the wall.   
  
"Sora?" Riku called softly, alarm on his face.   
  
Sora cried out in pain, doubling up. Everyone stared in bewilderment as he held up his left arm, Oathkeeper in hand. "Kairi!" He shouted. The Oathkeeper slowly began glowing, finally breaking apart in a blaze of white sparks. Sora sighed in relief as he collapsed on the floor.  
  
"Whoa! What just happened?" Tidus cried, looking around at his astonished friends.  
  
"Sora! Are you alright? Hey!" Selphie called, shaking him. "He passed out..."  
  
"Crap! What do we do?!" Yuffie groaned, pacing around Sora's limp form.  
  
"First off, we need to stay calm." Riku said forcefully, looking purposefully at Yuffie, " We will continue on and return to King Mickey, we'll figure the rest out from there. Try to rest, guys, I get the feeling the real battle hasn't begun yet."  
  
~*~  
  
"Gosh! What happened?" Mickey asked as Squall and Cloud carried Sora's body into the garden.  
  
"It's a rather puzzling story, your highness, we were hoping perhaps you could explain it." Riku said, standing next to the King. "As soon as Sora wakes up, I'll ask him to tell us exactly what happened."   
  
Mickey looked puzzled and worried, but nodded as he followed Riku.  
  
~  
  
Sora groaned softly, rolling over and snuggling into the grass. Grass? "Huh?" He sat up, disoriented. "Riku? Where are we?" He asked his silver-haired friend.  
  
Riku snorted, "We're in the castle garden, stupid. Thought you were gonna sleep all day." He laughed. "Get up, King Mickey would like you to explain what happened to the Oathkeeper."  
  
~  
  
Sora sipped at a hot mug of tea as he finished telling the King of what took place in the library and afterward.  
  
"I remember feeling.. Helpless. Like there was nothing I could do against Ansem. And then I felt this horrible, wrenching pain, right in my chest. The Oathkeeper appeared, right in my hand. I don't know how, I didn't bring it up. Then I saw Kairi, and she was so sad. She said she was sorry, that she had given me something that she needed back. Then the Oathkeeper disappeared, like mine did when Squall tried to wield it. I don't remember anything after that." He finished, looking up at the King and waiting.  
  
Mickey thought for a moment, "Riku was right, you weren't supposed to have the Oathkeeper in the first place. You were simply holding it until it's true wielder was ready for it." He said, rather satisfied with something.  
  
"True wielder? So someone else has a fourth keyblade?" Yuffie asked, confused. "Who then?"  
  
Mickey, Sora and Riku looked at her in surprise before exchanging glances. Sora fought back laughter and Riku tried to hide a smile.   
  
"Oh, sorry, we figured you would have caught on by now. Kairi has claimed the fourth keyblade, currently known as Oathkeeper." Mickey stated happily.  
  
"Oh, well I suppose that makes sense." Yuffie decided.  
  
"However," Mickey continued, "One thing still remains to be discovered. We still don't know what type of keyblade the Oathkeeper is, or what it can do." he said, happy mood dampened slightly.  
  
"Then we need to go get her before Ansem gets a hold of her keyblade!" Sora exclaimed. "Come on! The gummi ship has got to be refueled by now." he looked around at the blank stares.  
  
"Sora, you can't just go rushing off blindly into battle. Look at what happened the last few times we tried that. Kairi's rescue has to be thought out and timed carefully. The Heartless will have to be distracted, and then there's the task of finding her once we get into Hollow Bastion, not to mention Ansem himself. You might as well relax, because it's going to be awhile before we're actually ready." Riku explained, trying not to show how much he really did want to rush off to help her.  
  
~*~  
  
Ansem stared in disbelief as the Heartless hissed and backed away from the new keyblade. Kairi held it defensively before her, twirling it in graceful circles as the Heartless retreated from its light. Slowly, the last of the Heartless vanished into the shadows, leaving the library in silence.  
  
She turned and faced Ansem, keyblade relaxed. "Ansem, I want you to tell me what's going on."  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	9. Confirmation

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft and Disney.  
  
Sorry I haven't updated in so long, things have been crazy. I managed to get out a few more chapters for Riku's Silence. This story should get more interesting soon, thank you, reviewers! Please leave another review after you read!  
  
~~~~  
  
"Ansem, I want you to tell me what's going on." Kairi said, watching him as he stepped toward her.  
  
"You have a keyblade? Fascinating…" He reached down and grabbed her hand, lifting it up to examine the keyblade in her grasp. He touched it gently, pulling his hand back as a flash of white stung his fingers. Staring in fascination, he wrapped both his hands over hers, tilting the keyblade to get a better look at it. "The way the Heartless shrank back from it, this keyblade holds immense power over the dark-"   
  
"Ansem," Kairi cut him off, surprised to find that she had been holding her breath. She fought back the urge to shake her head, "What was that all about? Why did the Heartless attack you?"   
  
He looked down at her, releasing her hand and walking past her out the library door. She hurried to follow him, cautiously putting the Oathkeeper away and walking alongside him. He came to a stop several feet from the doorway, looking out across the hall and sighing.  
  
"I wasn't lying when I told you that I had nothing to do with the attack on Traverse Town." He began, looking down at her with serious eyes. "I was just as surprised as you and your friends were, having given them direct orders to stay away from Sora for the moment." He sighed, obviously uncomfortable with telling his greatest enemy's best friend about his problems. He turned and began walking quickly toward the rear door of the hall, emerging into Lift Stop and continuing through the door at the far end of the platform. Kairi jogged to catch up, following him out onto the upper walkway of the Castle Gates. He stopped to stare out at the vast expanse, standing where Kairi considered to be dangerously close to the edge of the platform.  
  
He let out a brief laugh, smiling to himself and looking back down to Kairi, who pouted at him. "What's funny?" She demanded, even more baffled when he laughed again and turned away from her.  
  
"Nothing, actually. I just find it rather ironic that I'm standing here having a decent conversation with my greatest enemy's closest friend."   
  
Kairi blushed, surprised by his sudden change in attitude as well as hearing her best friend being referred to as someone's enemy. Sora had always been so innocent to her, joking around all the time and having fun. Everyone couldn't help but like him, he was so cheerful to be around. She mentally slapped herself for being impressed that Ansem was not affected by Sora's irresistible charm.  
  
"You still haven't really explained what's happening." She pointed out, eager to take her mind off of Sora.  
  
He glanced down at her, cursing himself for doing so. She was staring up at him, not hopeful or pleading, but gazing at him as though he were a friend with a problem that needed fixing.   
  
"Alright," He began, "You most likely already know that I vanished when Kingdom Hearts opened, Sora had to have told you that." He waited as she nodded, "However, what surprised me most was that I was not destroyed, although the Light from Kingdom Hearts purged my body from the darkness. It destroyed my body and I was reduced to a powerless shell within a prison that my servants could not reach. I don't know how long I was in that place, trapped within its Light, though apparently not as long as it felt." he paused to glance at Kairi again, judging by the way she had grown that it must have been around two years.   
  
Shifting his gaze back out to the expanse, he continued, "I'll probably never truly understand how, but I managed to find my way out of that place. I awoke in the End of the World, a weak reminder of what I had once been. I hid in the darkness there, trying to regain my power. However, I was startled to find that the darkness no longer comforted me, it no longer held me safe within its confines. My one sanctuary, and it no longer protected me. It was not until I struggled to pull myself to the Gate to the Darkness was I finally able to begin to heal."   
  
He looked into her eyes, sensing her confusion and clearing his throat before he attempted to continue. "At first, I thought nothing of this now important detail. I simply wrote the situation off as pertaining to my own personal weakness. However, when I returned several days later to Hollow Bastion, I could not help but feel the sudden surge of energy coursing through my body. Once I was exposed to my familiar home, my strength returned surprisingly fast. Only after I found myself once again capable of maintaining flight did I attempt to call upon the Heartless. They came to me willingly, as though nothing had ever happened. I must admit, I had not entirely expected their compliance." He turned and walked to the lift, stepping aboard and waiting patiently as Kairi hopped in beside him.  
  
They rode the lift to the top, stepping out onto another platform. Ansem stepped toward her as she looked out across the water below them, mystified by the wide open horizon. She jumped slightly as she felt Ansem slide his arm around her waist, opening her mouth to ask him what he was doing. She yelped instead, her complaint forgotten as she felt the ground lift away under her feet. She clung desperately to his coat as he floated gracefully out over the balcony, suspended in midair nearly half a mile from the ground.  
  
"Holy shit.." She choked, burying her face in his chest as she tried to focus on anything but the absence of ground. Well, she had been wondering what he had meant by "maintaining flight".  
  
She finally opened her eyes as she felt her feet come into contact with the stone floor again, stumbling away from Ansem and hugging the wall. "Come on." He said softly, guiding her through the door and back into Lift Stop.  
  
He led her up a flight of stairs and through a large doorway, stepping out onto an enormous balcony. To Kairi's relief, he summoned the lift and they rode it up. At the top, they stepped off onto a well closed off platform. Walking toward the wall to their left, Ansem grabbed Kairi again and she flinched as he floated up to the doorway above them. He led her through Lift Stop again and stopped in front of the doorway at the far end of the walkway.  
  
"After you." He said, following her into the Castle Chapel. She could remember running through here with Donald and Goofy, she had liked it and wanted to stop, but the Heartless had been chasing them. She led Ansem down the hall and approached the alter. They paused for a moment in front of the rose emblem on the floor.   
  
"Lately, as you already know, my control over the shadow replicas has weakened. They refuse to obey me, they even took on the form of Sora to show me their distaste at my leadership. Don't worry, they most likely won't return. Only one thing about them truly bothers me, however. You must have seen it, too. They appeared to be, angry. Perhaps a little frightened as well… They do not seem to be Heartless any longer, more like their own sentient beings.. hmm. They could pose a threat to both myself and your friend Sora. We should try to keep track of their actions." He looked over at her and seated himself on the floor, leaned against the base of one of the statues.  
  
"Sometimes I even find myself unable to instruct a simple shadow to bring me a certain book. It has something to do with the Light from Kingdom Hearts. It seems as though it did something to me, but what?" He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cold stone, listening as Kairi sat down beside him.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell Sora in the first place?" She asked quietly, aware that he was slightly troubled by this new fact.  
  
He opened an eye and stared at her, "Would you tell your enemy when you felt your power weakening?" He asked, "Your dear Sora would simply see it as another way to destroy me." he stated, breathing deeply and staring up at the designs on the ceiling.  
  
Kairi watched and thought for a minute, "Ansem, now that Kingdom Hearts has been sealed again, what do you plan to do?" She asked, not really expecting him to answer.  
  
"… Nothing. The mystery of the Heartless has been solved for me, I simply live to await my death." He said, showing no emotion in his voice and staring blankly at the ceiling.  
  
His answer shocked Kairi, and she bit back the urge to rush forward and hug him. He must have been the loneliest man she had ever seen.  
  
"Then why do you stay with the Heartless, you must understand that there is no future ruling these creatures.." She trailed off, immediately regretting what she had said.  
  
At the sound of her words, Ansem leapt to his feet, anger flowing through him. "I gave up my entire life so I could better understand the Heartless! Look around you, do you see anything else?! I have nothing left but the Heartless! Even my people have left me, and with good reason! I set out to understand the Heartless so I could protect them, but I ended up either destroying them or driving them from their homes!" He shouted, bitterness ringing in his voice as he turned and glided out the door, leaving Kairi alone in the Chapel.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	10. Hesitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.  
  
Should be getting a bit more entertaining soon, last chapter seemed a little boring. :/ Please review.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi paced the Chapel, not sure what to do. She knew it was safe here, so she really didn't feel inclined to go exploring anywhere else. She wasn't entirely sure she would know what to do with her new keyblade if she managed to get into trouble, so she sat down and waited for Ansem to remember she was here.   
  
It was beginning to get late, and Kairi yawned, snuggling down on the rose emblem and resting. She felt rather sorry that she had upset Ansem so much, she never knew that talking about the Heartless could hit such a sensitive nerve. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, wondering how Sora and Riku were doing.  
  
~*~  
  
Ansem finally began to make his way back to Hollow Bastion. He was tired from the long flight, and he stood on the High Tower for a moment. He was angry at himself for losing his temper like that, especially since he had abandoned Kairi in his own castle. Silently hoping she hadn't been attacked by the Heartless, he made his way back into the Chapel.  
  
In contrast to outside, the Chapel was bright and inviting, the torches still flickering in their brackets. Ansem looked around for Kairi, finally noticing her curled up on the floor. He felt a pang of guilt as he noticed her shivering. Bending down and wrapping his coat around her, he lifted her gently and turned back to the door. She groaned softly in his arms and shifted, and he sighed in relief when she didn't wake up.  
  
He floated back out the door and through Lift Stop, not bothering to use the lifts since Kairi wasn't conscious to complain about his flying. The jolt of the lifts rising and falling would wake her, anyway.  
  
He glided around the outside of Hollow Bastion in a wide circle, lost in thought as he came to settle back on the walkway of the Castle Gates. He still didn't understand why he felt he could tell Kairi everything. There was something he found puzzling about the girl, something about her he couldn't help but trust. He shook the feeling away as he entered the hall, going up the staircase to the wing of the castle in which most of the living quarters where located.  
  
A shadow appeared and led him down the hall, opening the door to an empty bedroom and vanishing as Ansem walked inside.   
  
He gently set Kairi down on the bed, removing her shoes and putting his coat aside. He lifted her again and placed her under the covers, pulling them up around her shoulders before turning to leave. He cast one look back over his shoulder before he closed the door, silently wondering what it was about her.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sora, are you sure you'll be alright?" Riku asked as he leaned in his friend's bedroom doorway.   
  
The younger boy looked up, startled by the sudden appearance of the silver-haired boy. He managed a trademark grin and looked back down at his duffel bag, sorting through the contents. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, Kairi can take care of herself, especially if she has the Oathkeeper, right?" He choked out nervous laughter, all too aware of how the Heartless are drawn to keyblades.  
  
Riku watched him, noting the worry on his face. He cleared his throat, "King Mickey called a meeting, he wants us there in ten minutes. Better get ready, we're forming our strategy."  
  
Sora looked up at him, "Already?"   
  
Riku nodded. "There have been reports of Heartless in Traverse Town, Wonderland, Halloween Town, and at the Coliseum. Mickey wants us to figure something out now, just in case we're called upon to assist within the next few days. Traverse Town will most likely be calling on us soon, they have no defense whatsoever."   
  
Sora stared in disbelief, "What are they doing? Have they actually launched any attacks?" He asked desperately, jumping to his feet.  
  
"Not yet, but it doesn't look promising." The silver-haired boy replied, turning to exit the room. "Hurry, we should be there early. And ignore Selphie, she's not feeling well." He grinned.  
  
~*~  
  
"Good evening, King Mickey." Sora said cheerfully, waving at the small mouse as he entered the garden.   
  
"Good evening, Sora. I see you're feeling better." He laughed, sounding relieved. He sat down comfortably across form him and looked around at the group.   
  
Selphie and Yuffie were absent, "recovering" Aerith had said. Cloud sat next to her, Cid and Squall rested calmly on the grass near Riku. Tidus and Wakka sat next to Sora, trying not to look tired.  
  
"Well, at least most of us are here, though it does seem rather empty without the girls." Mickey said, watching as Goofy and Donald charged into the garden late.   
  
"Sorry, your highness!" Donald quacked as he tripped in the grass, landing on Tidus.   
  
"Alright then, first of all, we need to know what it is we want to do." Mickey glanced around at the group, "Any suggestions as to what should be done first?" He asked, spirits slipping a bit as the group tried to think.  
  
Tidus jumped importantly to his feet, pumping his fist in the air and trying his hardest to look like Sora, "First of all, we need to assess the situation!" He claimed boldly, using one of Sora's trademark grins and receiving and icy glare from the brunette. Wakka and Riku both burst out laughing, trying to calm themselves as Sora wrestled Tidus back to the ground.  
  
"Yes! We need to assess the situation. Now, what do we know so far?" He thought for a minute, waiting as Riku spoke up next.  
  
"We know that blind attacks don't work, Kairi has been taken hostage, and the Heartless are acting unusual." he said, looking down at Sora.  
  
"We need to know how Kairi is doing! If we can retrieve her than she might hold valuable information we could use against the enemy!" Tidus piped up again, trying to sound like Kairi was the love of his life and needed immediate rescue. He yelped as Sora lunged at him, pulled back as Riku latched onto the collar of his shirt.  
  
"Yes, before any action can be taken, Kairi's position must be determined. I believe this job may indeed call for stealth." Squall called out, watching the hopeful gleam in Sora's eyes.  
  
"Stealth? You mean.. We send someone in to check it out and report back?" Goofy asked, scratching his head as he tried to think about it. "But, uh, who would we send that wouldn't get caught?"  
  
Sora jumped up, "Me! I'll do it! I can be sneaky!" he shouted before Riku pulled him back down.  
  
"Give it up, Sora, the Heartless can detect both of us for miles. The most we could do is successfully get caught." The group settled down as they tried to think of who to send in.   
  
"How about Yuffie? She's a ninja, ya? She could do it." Wakka spoke up, looking up at King Mickey. The group stared at him in wonderment.   
  
"Yuffie? Actually, if she was calm enough, it just might work.." Squall stated in surprise.   
  
"Well, we don't have much choice, we'll have to hope for the best. I guess it's settled then, Yuffie will be informed immediately. Meeting dismissed for now, keep your fingers crossed." Mickey called as he hurried to talk to Yuffie.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	11. Affiliation

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.  
  
Thank you, Rayne B! I really enjoyed reading your review! The whole time I tried to read it, though, my TV kept mooing at me. lol, I like to watch movies while I write because it offers a distraction (weird huh?), and it was just getting to the part in Monster's Inc. where the THX starts mooing…Anyway, I'm glad you liked it and gave me a chance! I had been thinking about making Sora and Riku a queer couple, but I decided against it just today during art class. To be quite honest, I hadn't considered how Sora would react yet, but I really like the whole jealousy issue. Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting to add that to my profile, but I am a girl. Yup.   
  
K, here you go, I'm starting to have lotsa fun with this! It gets a little random toward the end, but I still liked it. It should get slightly fluffy within the next few chapters. And does anyone know how old Ansem is supposed to be? Kyle, you are allowed no suggestions! Riku loving psychopath…  
  
~~~~~  
  
Morning sunlight filtered through the half shut drapes, shining across the bed and warming Kairi's face. Groggily, she sat up, running a hand through her hair and gazing around the room.  
  
"Where am I..?" She muttered, resting in the Chapel the last thing she remembered.   
  
She looked around at her new surroundings, completely confused. A crumpled white heap at the foot of her bed caught her attention and she crawled forward to examine it. Picking it up, she immediately recognized it as Ansem's coat. He brought me here when he found me asleep in the Chapel? She thought to herself, gently folding it and placing it back on the bed.  
  
She found her shoes on the floor and put them on, picking up Ansem's coat again and walking toward the door. A noise near the window made her jump.  
  
Turning quickly, she cautiously made her way around the bed, examining the floor. A shadow rose out of the floor, circling her feet before it rose up in front of her and took on Sora's replica shape. She yelped and stepped back, confused when it didn't attack.  
  
"W-what do you want?" She choked, getting nervous as it smiled at her.  
  
The replica's shape began to change, melting away until Kairi saw herself standing there, smiling.   
  
Kairi stared at it, dumbfounded. The Heartless bowed to her before grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the door. She could have sworn she heard it giggle as they burst into the hallway, yanking her to the double doors at the far end and entering what appeared to be a ball room.   
  
There was a large carpet spread across the 60 foot grand hall, leaving a four foot edge around the walls. The left wall was lined with stained glass windows, circling around into the opposite wall and ending abruptly just before another set of double doors. The right wall had another set of double doors, which were decorated with the Heartless symbol.   
  
The replica pulled her anxiously across the floor, skidding to a stop just feet from the doors opposite from the entrance. Cautiously, it pushed them open, peeking inside and quietly pushing Kairi in ahead of it.   
  
Kairi looked around at the enormous dining hall, stepping forward and noticing Ansem standing with his back to her. He seemed to be staring out the tall glass windows covering the far wall, watching the clouds as they changed colors in the morning sunshine.  
  
Upon hearing the door click shut, he turned, almost looking surprised when he noticed the Heartless standing behind Kairi. He walked over to her, "Good morning. I see one of the replica Heartless has chosen to remain by your side as well. Interesting." He said, examining the Heartless.   
  
"You mean you saw others?" Kairi asked, glancing back suspiciously at the Heartless.  
  
"Yes. Last night, after I carried you to your room, six of them appeared before me, ready for their orders. I'm not sure why, they simply returned." He said, looking back at Kairi.  
  
She couldn't help but smile, "Aw, they like you." She giggled when he looked confused. "Oh, here." She said, quickly changing the subject. "You left this behind when you.. Carried me to my room.." She handed the coat to him, blushing lightly when he thanked her and put it back on.  
  
"Are you hungry?" He asked, walking back to pull a chair out from the table. He motioned for her to sit, and she cautiously obeyed.  
  
"A little.." She replied, shifting around in the large cozy chair and looked up at him, surprised by his manners.  
  
He turned and motioned to the Heartless beside Kairi, watching as it walked happily trough the door to the kitchen, disappearing inside. He returned to his place at the window, watching the water down below as it shimmered.  
  
The Heartless returned a moment later, carrying a tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, and two pieces of toast, along with a small bowl of salad and a glass of orange juice. Kairi smiled warmly at her new assistant as it set the tray down in front of her, receiving a nod in return.  
  
Kairi poked around at it and found some silverware tucked under the plate. She dug into the warm food hungrily, having missed dinner the night before.  
  
~*~  
  
"So. Let me get this straight. You want me, to go into Hollow Bastion, and gather information pertaining to Kairi, without getting caught, and then report back to you?" Yuffie asked, surprised that they were willing to let her go, and perhaps even more surprised that it had been Wakka's idea in the first place.  
  
"Yes, so, can you do it?" Donald asked impatiently, already upset that the King had decided to tell her the next morning after walking in on her and Selphie's depression episodes the night before.   
  
Yuffie snorted, "Of course I can! When do I leave?" She asked, puffing out her skinny chest and looking down at the duck.  
  
He threw up his hands in despair, "We're doomed!" he quacked, waddling out of the room.  
  
Yuffie, Sora, and Mickey watched him go, Sora stifling laughter. Mickey looked up at her, "Tomorrow morning. We have some things we'd like to cover with you." He replied, turning to follow Donald. "Sora has volunteered to assist you in training in the meantime, so if you two could work in the training room, I would appreciate it. Don't forget to come to lunch." He added, waving as he ran after his magician.   
  
"Training?" Yuffie asked, looking over at Sora.   
  
Sora nodded, "King Mickey wanted me to make sure you could take care of yourself, considering we haven't really seen you in action yet." he said, avoiding her as she glared darkly at his suggestion.   
  
"Fine, great, let's get going." She said innocently, eager to spar with Sora again. She skipped to the door and out into the hallway, stopping abruptly and turning to face him. "Which way is the training room?" She asked, pouting slightly when he shrugged.  
  
~*~  
  
Kairi stacked her dishes back on the tray, leaning back and watching as the Heartless took the tray back into the kitchen.  
  
She stood up, walking over to Ansem, who was still standing with his back to her, looking out the window. He glanced down at her for a moment, appearing slightly uncomfortable. He looked back out the window.  
  
"I'm…sorry." He said quietly.  
  
Kairi was mystified, "Sorry? For what?" She asked.  
  
Ansem hesitated, "For losing my temper last night. I should not have stormed off like that."   
  
Kairi watched him as he stood there, staring blankly out the window. This is not the evil Heartless King that Sora and Riku always told me about…Is this who Ansem had been? He seems so lonely and out of place. She thought to herself, resisting the urge to stroke his shoulder.  
  
Clearing her throat, she turned, almost smacking into the Heartless that materialized behind her. It smiled, giggling along with Kairi as they faced each other.  
  
Hearing the sound of the Heartless' giggle, Ansem watching the replica with curious eyes. How strange, these shadow replicas have grown to the point where they are capable of emotion. Fascinating, what form of Heartless has this replica become? He asked himself, startled when he heard Kairi's voice.  
  
"Ansem? Are you feeling alright?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"..Yes, I was simply thinking." He said, watching as she fidgeted with her skirt, having noticed a random dirt spot from sleeping on the Chapel floor.  
  
He managed to tear his gaze away from her skirt, meeting her eyes when she straightened up again.  
  
He cleared his throat and motioned towards her clothing, "If you like, there is clothing in the old bedrooms that you may have. They were left behind when my people fled, along with some other things. You can keep whatever you find." He said, watching as her eyes filled with excitement.   
  
"Really? Where?" She asked, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the dining hall and back into the ball room. She burst through the doors at the other end, scrambling to pull Ansem with her.  
  
He nearly knocked her off her feet when he stopped in front of the door immediately to their right. "This way." He said, pushing the door open to reveal a staircase leading upward.  
  
Kairi giggled and yanked him up the stair case, stopping in the doorway when they reached the top. The hall was lined with different colored doors, a stained glass window at the end of the hall.   
  
Ansem stepped forward, motioning to a red door on the left. "This was the bedroom of a young woman, she must have been around your age.." His voice trailed off, avoiding Kairi's gaze.   
  
"Around my age? What happened to her?" Kairi urged, suddenly remembering she was holding onto Ansem's hand. She let go and smiled in apology, looking expectantly up at him.  
  
"She was turned into a Heartless." He said abruptly, looking away.  
  
Kairi felt a pang of guilt, pushing open the door and looking inside at the dusty unkempt room.  
  
Suddenly, the Heartless replica burst into the room, spinning around in a circle before grabbing Kairi's hand and pulling her inside. It smiled happily and twirled around, Kairi watching it questioningly. It grabbed her shoulders and led her to the tall oak wardrobe, urging her to look inside.  
  
"Well, I can see you two are busy, I'll speak to you later." He said, waving quickly before he disappeared, closing the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	12. Benediction

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts then obviously I wouldn't add a disclaimer.  
  
Thank you reviewers! I'm watching Edward Scissorhands right now. I swear, that's the best movie ever. I love the inventor! He's so cool! Ahem, anyhow. Things might seem to get rather random in a second, but I swear it's vital to the plot! Plot, lol, funny word.  
  
If you haven't already, go read Dimitri Plabato/Drake Dragon's story (http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=463773). It's pretty good, so KYLE will be sure to read it and review. *icy glare* Right? If you guys have stories you want me to read, then just tell me and I will read it as soon as I can find time.   
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi cautiously opened the wardrobe, peeking inside and gasping at what she saw. Seven beautifully regal dresses were hanging inside. Each was a different color and several had intricately embroidered hems. "Wow.." She breathed as she admired the dresses.  
  
The Heartless leaned forward and picked out the simplest one, handing it to Kairi for further inspection.  
  
"This one?" She asked, examining the beautiful material.   
  
It was jet black, nearly sleeveless with the skimpy dual straps. When Kairi held it up to herself, she was surprised to find that it appeared to fit, cascading down to touch the tops of her feet loosely. The bottom hem had a gothic pattern embroidered around it in snow white thread, adding an elegant feel to it.  
  
Excited, she quickly stripped and pulled the dress on, already liking the feel of the fabric. She stood up straight in front of the mirror, inspecting how well it fit. It felt as though it had been made for her, stretched comfortably across her chest and stomach, and reaching the floor with out really touching. The dual straps rested against her shoulders, more of a decoration that for support. She noticed now that it had slits up the sides, admiring how elegant it seemed to make her legs look.  
  
Excited, she spun to face the Heartless. "It's beautiful! What do you think?" She spun around to show it off.  
  
She tried not to show her surprise when the Heartless gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up, blushing slightly and turning back to the wardrobe. She noticed a chest at the bottom, opening it curiously to find it full of various styles of shoes. She found a pair of black boots and set them aside, looking around until she spotted a dresser in the corner, matching the style of the wardrobe.   
  
She walked over to it and pulled open the top drawers, finding it full of boxers and underwear. Closing it, she opened the drawers next to it, this one full of bras and more boxers. (A/N- Just to let you know, it's nothing weird or whatever, it's just that boxers are really comfy! Some people don't seem to comprehend that girls like to wear boxers. Sorry, I just get a lot of blank stares sometimes when I try to explain that to my friends..) Closing that drawers as well, she moved on to the next one, doing a victory dance in her head when she found what she was looking for, the sock drawer.  
  
She pulled out a pair of thigh-high white stockings, pulling them on before she tried on the boots, pleased with the cozy fit. Smiling, she stood back up and turned to look in the mirror. "Hmm, something's missing.." She trailed off, looking hopefully at the Heartless.  
  
The Heartless examined her for a moment, form shifting as it switched outfits to match her once again. A moment later, it shifted again, wearing the same outfit, but now with a chain around its neck, a buckle locked firmly in the middle of it.  
  
"Wow, that's an unusual necklace, but I kinda like it. Where is it?" Kairi asked, looking around the room for it.   
  
The Heartless skipped excitedly over to the bedside table, pointing at the top drawer frantically. Kairi walked over and pulled it open, digging through the dusty contents until she found the necklace, holding it up to the light as she dusted it off. Slowly, it began to shine, the metal of the chain showing through. The buckle rested on a strip of black leather, like it had been cut off of a belt and attached to the chain. Kairi could sense that it had some sort of sentimental value to someone, so she quickly undid the chain, binding it around her neck as a choker and clipping it back on. It fell loosely against the base of her neck, accenting her slim figure.   
  
She turned again to look in the mirror and nodded in approval. "I like it!" She said to the Heartless, who was smiling widely at her.   
  
Kairi thought for a moment, pacing around the room. "Hey, can you take me to the library?" She asked, remembering the mess she and Ansem had made in the battle against the Heartless the day before. The replica nodded and motioned for Kairi to follow, quickly scampering out the door and leading her down the hall.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora and Riku ran out of the castle gates, able to hear Cid's frantic yelling from all the way inside the garden. Squall, Cloud, and Aerith stood around outside the gates, Aerith trying to contain her laughter and Squall shaking his head in disapproval.  
  
"What's going on?" Sora shouted over the loud curses coming from the small gummi ship that appeared ready for launch.   
  
Cloud turned to face Sora, crossing his arms over his chest. "King Mickey got a new type of smaller, less detectable gummi ship, and Cid said he would teach Yuffie how to fly it. As you can hear, it isn't going well." He motioned over to the small ship, shaking violently as Cid came storming out.  
  
Riku laughed briefly, ducking as several tools came shooting toward his head.  
  
"Shuttup, kid!! You try teaching that Almighty Ninja how to fly that thing!" He yelled, picking up a booklet that was lying on the ground beside the tool case and climbing back inside.  
  
All was quiet for a moment before all hell seemed to break loose, Yuffie's shouts mingling with Cid's curses.  
  
"WILL YOU STOP PRESSING THAT BUTTON?!" He shouted, the engines flaring angrily as the ship shook.   
  
"Oh! Get off!! I can do it!! Stop whining!!!" Yuffie shouted back, the ship hovering several feet before the engine died.  
  
Yuffie hopped out, storming past Cloud and stopping to stand beside Sora as Cid came stomping out behind her.  
  
"You don't have to make this so hard!" He cried, flipping violently through the book.  
  
"I'm sorry! It's just really hard to focus when some old guy is shouting in your ears!!" She shot back, huffing angrily and turning away form him.  
  
"Some old guy?!" Cid threw down the booklet and stomped on it. "Look! Right there! Just follow the damn instructions!" He cried, pointing down to the book pressed firmly beneath his foot.  
  
"Hey, maybe I can help. I learned how to fly a gummi ship, and maybe Yuffie could focus better with someone her own age.." Sora said, scratching the back of his head as he looked up at Cid.  
  
Cid eyed him for a moment before resting his hands back on his hips. "Whatever, kid. Let's go." He said, shoving Sora and Yuffie back aboard the ship.   
  
Tidus and Wakka chose this moment to burst through the castle gates, skidding to a stop right behind Aerith when they heard the shouts coming form inside already.  
  
Riku burst into laughter at the confused looks on their faces, Aerith following his lead and Tidus and Wakka exchanging nervous glances as they looked around at their friends.  
  
"Stop doing that! You- OH! You little-! You're gonna blow the damn ship up!!" Cid cried.  
  
"No I'm not!! Stop griping!! HEY! I can do it myself, Sora!" Yuffie shouted at the two males, the ship rocking violently as Sora tripped over Cid.  
  
"Yuffie, just press this one, no, don't touch that!! There ya go, now- Ah!" Sora shouted over the racket of Cid's complaints."  
  
"Hey, kid, help me here!!" Cid cried, the ship bouncing violently.  
  
"What are you- HEY!! Stoppit!! Let me GO!!" Yuffie shouted, a loud thump sounding as her foot collided with the hull.  
  
"Ah! There! Yuffie, you just- NO! Look! Cid, where'd ya put that booklet?" Sora scrambled violently to hold onto Yuffie's arm as he grabbed the book.  
  
"See?! There! Right THERE! It's not that difficult! You just- HEY!" Sora cried, the ship calming down as the onlookers held their breath.  
  
It was quiet for a moment, then Cid's voice cut through the short intermission, fresh obscenities reverberating off of the castle walls.  
  
It was silent again.  
  
A few moments later, the gummi ship rose off of the ground, hovered several feet in the air, turned around, and set back down.  
  
Yuffie came bounding back out, skipping and jumping wildly in her victory dance. "OH! Did you see that!? I did it! I told you I could!" She hopped around Squall, pulling happily at his clothing.  
  
Sora and Cid stumbled back out, collapsing in relieved heaps on the ground, shaking hands.  
  
"Good work, kid." Cid huffed, trying his hardest to ignore Yuffie.  
  
Sora huffed and waved in reply, unable to believe he had succeeded in getting Yuffie to listen to them.  
  
Tidus and Wakka looked curiously at Sora and Cid, "Did we miss somethin'?" Wakka asked, tossing his blitzball up and catching it as he waited for a reply.  
  
Everyone laughed, turning to return to the castle for lunch. Yuffie still hopping around them and shouting.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	13. Recollection

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.  
  
I noticed a horrid amount of mistakes in the last chapter, as you have probably guess, I've given up on proofreading them before posting. My word processor program automatically fixes mistakes that it sees as obvious, which is irritating because usually it comes up with some obscure word that I've never heard before. *sigh. This chapter took forever to write, and I still don't think it came out quite the way I had hoped. Oh well, close enough for now. After I finish this story I am thinking about going through and rewriting some of the chapter, just to try to get the basic feel of the story down. One thing I discovered over the weekend is that Flogging Molly fit this story fairly well so far as music goes. Don't ask me how I found that out…  
  
Yeah, nice review, Kyle. I hope I look that good when I'm 63. Hell, I hope I look that good when I'm 20.  
  
Thanks for reviewing everyone! Please leave some more. I seriously hope this is turning out alright, I don't exactly have the entire plot lined up yet… Bad me, I know.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Ansem faced the doorway to the Dark Depths. It had weakened to the point of collapse during his absence, but since his return, it had grown stronger. It had once again begun releasing darkness into the worlds, evil seeping from its very foundations. He could not be sure, but for some reason it seemed as though it was stronger now than it had been before. It had been the seven princesses of heart that had opened it in the first place, and he wondered if they could feel its sudden presence again.   
  
Turning abruptly, he treaded back down the two flights of stairs. He stopped suddenly when deep laughter sounded around him, shadows lengthening eerily as the torches flickered. He fell back a pace as a Heartless replica rose up before him, still in Sora's form. It grinned evilly as the lengthening shadows flowed across the floor, a mass of replicas emerging to surround Ansem. His eyes narrowed as he stared into the blank stare of the replica that appeared to be the leader, surprised to find himself repulsed by its hollow appearance.  
  
"What do you want? You've made your point, I am unable to control you. Now get out of my castle." He spat darkly, ready to materialize his spear if the need arose. He noticed that he suddenly felt tired, relaxing his arm to keep it from shaking.  
  
The Heartless simply grinned wider, inhuman fangs glistening in the flickering light. "..Do you know what I am?" It finally hissed, holding its arms up as if being inspected. "I'm no longer human, that's what I am. A long time ago, we were all human. Every one of us in this room. But that's all changed, hasn't it, your majesty?" It drawled out the last two words like some kind of sick joke, its grin turning into a fierce sneer.   
  
"My lord and master, King Ansem. Have you not felt the change?" It looked away from him, gazing around at its followers.  
  
"What change?" Ansem asked cautiously, trying not to show that they had his attention.  
  
It looked back to him and laughed, the morbid sound echoing around the great hall. Its body shifted, voice deepening as it changed forms and grew. It faced him, once again grinning as it completed its transformation. A perfect shadow replica of himself. Ansem stared at it in distaste.  
  
"The revolution of the Heartless, of course. Things are changing, lord, as you can plainly see. I'm surprised that the King of the Heartless is unaware of the coming revolution. With your vast knowledge of the darkness, you should have felt its unavoidable approach the moment Kingdom Hearts took you. The Heartless are becoming restless, longing to reach Kingdom Hearts and take it for themselves. A war is brewing between the light and the dark. Don't try to deny it, you've known it was coming since the day you returned to power. Very soon, the keyblade wielders shall rise against the Heartless. You already know that there is only one side for you, join with me, and with our combined strength, we can bring down the keyblades!" It declared boldly, holding up its fist and glaring expectantly at him.  
  
Ansem sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. He stood there for a moment, meditating on the Heartless' statement. He knew it was true, it was part of the reason why he had ordered the Heartless to stay away from Sora in the first place. He slowly opened his eyes, staring down at the floor.  
  
"This is what you believe to be true? A mere Heartless, incapable of human emotion or thought. A war between the light and the dark? Even as a creature of darkness, you still understand so little about it. Light cannot exist without darkness, just as darkness cannot exist without light. To rid the universe of either could bring Armageddon. Now get out of my castle. You're wasting my time." He said quietly, as though everyone knew it. He shoved past the angered Heartless, ignoring the shouts that followed him out of the door. He reached an unsteady hand up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, making a mental note to ask Kairi if she had felt the same way around the replicas.  
  
"A war is coming, Ansem! And it shall extend far beyond the Heartless! You can see it already, we ourselves are already more than Heartless. Do not take the effect of Kingdom Hearts for granted!" It shouted angrily, following its companions back into the shadows.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ugh, look at this mess! It looks like we didn't even make a dent!" Kairi huffed, flopping down onto the dusty floor and looking up at the replica. They had been working for hours, hauling around the stacks of disrupted books and piling the broken pieces of the bookcases against the wall. Kairi wasn't sure what Ansem would do about the shelves, he would probably just buy new ones.   
  
She reached over and picked up the broom, using it to pull herself back to her feet. She began sweeping the visible floor space, attempting to clear a path through the debris. It didn't appear to help, and after a while she threw it down, howling in frustration.  
  
The door on the floor above them slammed open, causing her to jump as she stumble out from under the balcony to see if it was Ansem. She saw him pick a book off of one of the undisturbed shelves upstairs, slamming it angrily against the table. Upon noticing her down below, he straightened up, making his way over to the staircase and crossing his arms over his chest as he glided down to meet her.  
  
She looked up at him, shocked by his sudden change. He looked so stressed and angry. It frightened her to see him like that. She mentally slapped herself to keep from staring into his flaming orange eyes.  
  
He looked down at her, noticing the new black dress she wore. It seemed to define every curve in her body, resting snuggly against her soft skin. Her legs showed through the slits that ran up the sides, outlining the lean muscles that had developed over the years. He couldn't deny that it looked good on her. His gaze snapped back up to her face as she cleared her throat.  
  
"So, what's the matter? You missed lunch.." She began, watching his gaze soften.  
  
He didn't answer, turning away to look around the room. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, noticing the stacks of debris and books.  
  
Kairi blushed slightly, "Well, it was really messy in here, and you always seem so lonely and busy.. We thought that maybe since you're letting me stay here and all, that we might clean it up for you.." She trailed off. She could have sworn that she had seen a hint of a smile cross his face.  
  
He knew that by 'letting her stay there' she actually meant that she had noticed the fact that he seemed to have no intention of hurting her. He was surprised to find that he hadn't even thought about it. Pushing the thought back out of his mind, he turned to look into her eyes.  
  
"You didn't have to do that." He said, looking back towards the heaps of debris and lifting his hand.   
  
Almost immediately various Heartless rose from the floor, scurrying around the room as they picked up the books and sorted through the rubble. Kairi's replica came bounding out of the crowd, hiding behind her and looking rather disgruntled. It noticed Ansem and smiled, bowing slightly as it hid even farther behind the red-haired girl.  
  
Ansem looked at it curiously, leaning in as it allowed him to gently grip its face. Almost immediately he felt his hand grow tired. "Fascinating. You two have been getting along?" He asked, releasing the nervous Heartless and looking back at Kairi.  
  
She seemed slightly confused, "Well, yes. Why?" She looked over her shoulder at the replica, which had buried its face in her back.  
  
Ansem watched her for a moment as he thought, "Heartless are what remains after a person loses their heart to darkness. They are incapable of human emotions, however, and most of them can't even think. I find it interesting that this particular kind of Heartless have suddenly regained some of their lost capabilities." He stated, walking over to the nearest bookshelf and lifting a large chunk of broken wood out of his way.  
  
He dug around in the debris for a moment before straightening up, carrying a thick book along with him. He opened it and began flipping through the pages, the Heartless dodging around his boots as he stood in the midst of their work.   
  
Kairi couldn't help but stare. His posture was perfect and he completely ignored the small hunched forms around him, his long white hair flowing gracefully around his shoulders. Even living on a tropical island she had never seen a tan like his, her heart jolting as she was reminded of her home. She wondered if her friends were worried about her, and whether or not they would risk a battle with Ansem to get her back. He didn't seem like he would be willing to let her simply waltz out of his castle.  
  
She sighed heavily, sinking down until she was seated on the bottom of the stairs. Focusing on the floor between her feet, she asked herself why she had even stayed behind in the first place. Because there's something about him, something that told me to help him, she told herself.   
  
A Heartless scurried past with several books, depositing them on floor next to her. It straightened up as much as its small form would allow it to, staring at her with its blank eyes. She stared back at it, mesmerized by its unblinking stare. It shuffled closer, pausing several feet away and wiggling its antennae. She tried to look away, but its eyes were burning into her. It began shuffling closer again, holding up a claw to her as she shifted uncomfortably.   
  
She jumped as Ansem's boot collided with the creature's chest, sending it hurtling across the room into a damaged bookcase.   
  
"You should be more cautious around the Heartless. Even under my control they still seek out anyone who wields a keyblade." He stepped down onto the floor, helping her to her feet.  
  
She looked up at him with questioning eyes, "Why did you-?"   
  
"Had it gotten any closer it would have attempted to take your heart. Don't hesitate to use your keyblade if it happens again." He said, interrupting her.  
  
Kairi paused for a moment, slightly startled. It had only been for a moment, but she was sure she had seen it. There had been genuine concern reflected in his eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	14. Gravitation

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft and Disney.  
  
I just had to get this chapter out, it was killing me! Slight fluff, between various characters. Not sure yet how far this chapter will reach into the story. I just thought that I should tell you, the only real characters that will be appearing in this story are the ones from Kingdom Hearts. I've read some other stories that include almost every Final Fantasy character, but since I am deprived of Final Fantasy, I am unable to include them. Not that you guys probably mind anyway, I mean, if you wanted to read a story about all the crazy Final Fantasy guys, then I bet you'd go search under the proper category. lol.   
  
Good lord, I hate The Matrix. Trinity's cat-suit is making me angry inside.   
  
*ahem* Please review!  
  
~~~~~  
  
Yuffie bounced excitedly down the hallway, nearly trampling Selphie as she walked out of the dining hall.   
  
"Oh, Yuffie! How was your training session with Sora? I didn't get a chance to ask you at dinner." She asked.  
  
Yuffie pouted angrily, "He says I have room for improvement!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her thin chest.  
  
Selphie patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's just because he's a boy and he's got a weapon, don't worry about it. Tidus is the same way. What time do you have to leave?" She asked, holding back a yawn.  
  
"Tomorrow after breakfast." She sighed, examining her shoes.  
  
"Oh, be careful. So, umm, how's Squall?" She asked, hiding a small smile as she watched the ninja.  
  
Yuffie looked at her for a moment before bursting into a fit of giggles. "He's trying not to look like he's worried about me! I think I really surprised him with this one!" She laughed, Selphie joining in as the dining hall door opened and Tidus walked out.  
  
He took one look at the two giggling girls and turned the other way, trying to sneak off before-  
  
"Tidus!!" Selphie sang, bouncing up beside him and latching onto his neck. He blushed as Yuffie watched, giggling at him.  
  
"Aren't you going to escort me to my room?" Selphie asked him expectantly. He blushed even deeper as Wakka and Squall emerged from the hall, immediately noticing his predicament and spinning around to pretend they hadn't.  
  
Unfortunately, that brought them face-to-face with Yuffie, who mimicked Selphie and grabbed Squall. He wasn't quite sure what to do, so he just stumbled to the side and looked at Wakka pleadingly.   
  
"Heh heh. Hey, Wakka, how ya' doing?" Tidus nearly whimpered, watching as he turned and 'accidentally' dropped his blitzball in the corridor, which conveniently bounced out of sight as he ran after it.  
  
Selphie giggled, "Come on, I'm tired!" She whined playfully, leaping up into his arms.  
  
"Tidus stumbled slightly under the sudden weight, but knew better than to tell her no. He sighed in defeat and began down the hall to her room.  
  
Squall watched them go, turning back to look down at Yuffie, who was still attached to his neck. Nearly blushing, she released him, stepping back and smiling innocently.  
  
"Sorry, couldn't help myself!" She joked, giggling. "So, uh, I guess I'll see you later- Ah!" She yelped as he lunged forward and grabbed her.   
  
He threw her over his shoulder and turned down the hallway. "So, which way is your room? You could use some rest, too. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day, spying on the Heartless and all." He stated nonchalantly, moving briskly down the hall after Tidus.  
  
"Ah! Put me down, Squall!" She laughed, wriggling wildly in a mock attempt to escape.  
  
"Such a whiny little ninja!" He exclaimed, pulling her off of his shoulder and resting her in his arms as he continued down the hall.  
  
They turned the corner and walked through the double doors leading to the guest rooms, stopping abruptly at what they saw ahead.   
  
Selphie had her arms wrapped firmly around Tidus's neck and was kissing him passionately. What was even more surprising was that he was kissing her back.  
  
Squall was so shocked, he almost dropped Yuffie, who swung her feet to the ground and stood up, bracing herself against the brunette for support. She bounced excitedly and he tried to clamp his hand over her mouth, but was too slow.  
  
"Oh. My. God!!" She cried, giggling madly and hugging Squall. "That is so CUTE!"  
  
Selphie and Tidus jumped, shoving each other away when they realized they had been caught. Tidus muttered a hasty goodnight to Selphie before darting past Squall, blushing deeply.  
  
He slammed the double doors behind him, Squall throwing them back open and calling after him. "Tidus! ..Sorry!" He clamped a hand to his face, shaking his head as he turned back to the two girls.  
  
"Yuffie.." he growled, trying to glare at her as she smiled innocently in his direction, avoiding eye contact. He couldn't help but smile. "Go to bed." he turned and ran off in the direction Tidus had gone.  
  
Yuffie turned slowly to meet Selphie's gaze. "Sorry, Selphie.. At least you finally got him!" She said happily, bouncing around in a circle with her friend.  
  
"Did you see him? He's so adorable! He turned bright red when he saw you two!" she laughed.  
  
~*~  
  
The sun had set over Hollow Bastion, stars visible through the deep purple sky. Kairi sighed, seated comfortably on the padded windowsill. The replica appeared at her side, carrying a set of silken pajamas in its arms.   
  
"Oh, thank you." Kairi smiled gratefully at the Heartless, her thoughts interrupted yet again.   
  
She accepted them and walked over to her bed, she tossed her outfit onto the bed and pulled the pajamas on, admiring them in her mirror. They were the same crimson color as her hair. They fit fairly well and felt soft and delicate to the touch. She felt a bit guilty to be wearing them, but she didn't have any of her own clothing.  
  
She flung herself onto her bed, smiling happily as she snuggled into the mattress. It was a nice change from her own bed at home, with its old wooden frame and worn out material. She wasn't so sure she wouldn't regret leaving Hollow Bastion, if she ever did. Though, she did miss her island, as well as all of her friends.  
  
She laughed, Yuffie and Selphie must be worried sick about her. Sora and Riku were probably worried, too. She sat up, they probably thought Ansem had kidnapped her or something. She didn't like that idea. Swinging her feet over the edge of her bed, she stopped. Why didn't she like that idea? It wasn't like Ansem didn't deserve it, she understood what he had done. But for some reason, she didn't want Sora and Riku coming after him.   
  
She ran a hand through her hair, wandering back to her window. What's the matter with me? She asked herself, remembering earlier that day. Ansem had been worried about her, he had looked away when he realized she knew, but it hadn't changed anything.   
  
Something about it had touched her, for some reason, it didn't seem right that the King of Heartless would be able to show emotion. But why not? He's human, isn't he? Heartless can rarely think or experience emotion, he said so himself. So he must be human if he isn't a Heartless, right? She argued with herself.   
  
Wait, he used Riku before so he could have a human body, then, does that mean he is using someone else now? Kairi sat down on the windowsill, lost in her mental argument. Ugh, I'm so confused! So, does that mean that he's not a human or a Heartless? What else is there? And why is he so different from the Ansem everyone taught me about?  
  
'Sometimes I even find myself unable to instruct a simple shadow to bring me a certain book. It has something to do with the Light from Kingdom Hearts. It seems as though it did something to me, but what?' His voice sounded inside her head, reminding her of the conversation they had up in the Chapel.  
  
"Kingdom Hearts? Is it possible..?"   
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	15. Discussion

Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
  
Thank you, dear sweet reviewers! I'm really bored.   
  
I think it works best to read this chapter and then the next chapter back-to-back, considering I had to cut this chapter in half cuz it was waaaay to long.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains as Kairi's replica flung them open. It leaped across the room and bounced onto the bed, staring intently at Kairi as she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Whoa!" She jumped, pulling herself back into a sitting position. She looked around the room and yawned. "Morning already? I'm still tired.." She moaned as she fell back into the blankets.   
  
She threw herself back up and yelped in surprise as her bedroom door was flung open.  
  
"Ever heard of knocking?!" She huffed angrily as Ansem stepped inside. She buried herself self-consciously under the covers and glared at him.  
  
"We need to talk, you may find this interesting. Meet me in the library as soon as you finish breakfast." he said, turning abruptly and exiting her room.  
  
"Uhh, okay." She replied, looking up at the equally surprised Heartless.  
  
She pulled herself out of bed, wandering over to the mirror and running a hand through her hair. "Ugh, I really need a shower.." She groaned, turning to look at the replica.  
  
It nodded knowingly and they walked out into the hall. They stopped in front of the bathroom door, pushing it open and walking inside. It wasn't the first time she had been inside this bathroom, but it never failed to surprise her. It was huge, nearly the same size as her bedroom down the hall. She kneeled down next to the enormous bathtub, fiddling with it before the Heartless shoved her out of the way, giggling at her.  
  
It turned the hot water on, letting it run for a while before turning on a little cold water, too. Kairi leaned excitedly over the tub, running a hand through the water as she took in the wonderful scent. The bathtub filled surprisingly quickly, and the Heartless nudged Kairi, urging her to climb in.   
  
"Alright, thank you!" She said happily, stripping down and setting her pajamas next to the sink.   
  
The Heartless bowed happily to her, quickly slipping out the door and closing it gently. Kairi sighed happily and leaned back, relaxing as she reached for some shampoo.  
  
~*~  
  
The gummi ship hummed gently as it set don in Rising Falls. The door slid open and Yuffie poked her head out, inspecting her surroundings before ducking back inside. She hopped back out a moment later, quickly closing the gummi ship's door and cringing at the echo that reverberated around the falls. She looked around for minute and shrugged when nothing attacked her.  
  
"Heartless must be pretty stupid. This'll be easy!" She snickered as she bounded up to the lift.  
  
~*~  
  
Kairi jumped and spun around, the door creaking open behind her. She relaxed as her replica slipped inside and closed the door behind itself. It set a stack of clothing down on the counter beside her, bowing and stepping back outside.   
  
Kairi walked over and sorted through the clothing, tossing her towel aside as she got dressed. She stood in front of the wall-sized mirror, admiring her newest outfit. The jet black top exposed her midriff, the loose sleeves flaring out at her wrists. The matching skirt only reached to the middle of her thighs, also flaring out from the base of her hips. Two silver chains crossed over her rear, clipping onto the buckles on the skirt. Other than various buckles arranged rather elegantly on the outfit, it was plain. She gathered up things and hopped happily out the door, nearly trampling the Heartless as she bounded back into her bedroom.  
  
They both collapsed in a heap on the floor, giggling as Kairi reached for her boot and stockings from the day before. She hurriedly pulled them on and dug through the pile, retrieving the buckled necklace and snapping it around her neck.  
  
"I'm ready, come on!" She called over her shoulder, darting out of the room and bouncing down the hall to breakfast.  
  
~*~  
  
The library door opened easily, having been replaced the day before. Kairi stepped cautiously inside, closing it quietly behind her and looking around for Ansem. She stepped around the new bookcases and walked toward the stairs. The Heartless must have worked all night to get it so clean.. She thought to herself.   
  
Upon hearing a noise behind her, she spun around, crying out in surprise when she realized that Ansem was standing right behind her. He grabbed her arm as she tripped over herself, pulling her back up and bracing her as she tried to regain her composure.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said, handing her a thick book and guiding her through the maze of shelves. "I went through everything in the library last night, and I discovered several, rather alarming theories. I must admit, I hadn't planned on telling you this, but an inevitable war is approaching." He glanced at her, noting the curiosity on her face.  
  
He stopped and faced the nearest bookcase, taking a worn book down and flipping through it. "There." He stated, pointing at an illustration of the keyblade.   
  
"This is your friend Sora's keyblade, in its true form. The Kingdom Key. Now, here is its twin, which I believe King Mickey holds now. Both are Kingdom Keys. Now here's where it gets interesting." he flipped the page. One side of the book had a diagram of the dark keyblade, while the other side was blank. Kairi looked questioningly at him.  
  
"This is the Dark Keyblade, which Riku wields. It is the opposite to your keyblade, Oathkeeper, I believe you call it? Yes, you hold the Light Keyblade." he said, motioning to the blank page. "But as you can see, I never got the chance to record its information."  
  
"The Kingdom Key's main purpose, is to destroy the Heartless. You understand that already. However, the Dark Keyblade, when used correctly, is capable of unlocking a person's heart, turning people into Heartless. It draws it's power from the Heartless, having been born of darkness itself. Now, your keyblade, Oathkeeper, is quite a marvel in itself. From what I've seen so far, it is born of light, feeding off of a person's heart for power. What I find rather intriguing, is that while some Heartless cower from it, others flock to it. Such as the replica that follows you around. I believe it may be capable of locking a Heartless' heart." he said seriously, watching her with dull orange eyes.  
  
"You mean, if I were to use it the right way, I could.. Restore, a Heartless to its human form..?" She asked, bewildered.  
  
Ansem more or less shrugged, "Well, yes."   
  
Kairi shook her head, trying to straighten out her thoughts. "Now, what about this war? What's happening?" She asked, looking back up at him and noticing the exhaustion in his eyes. Well, he did say he was up all night, she told herself, trying not to smile.  
  
Ansem sighed, "The Heartless have grown weary, they wish to seek out Kingdom Hearts and take it. However, Kingdom Hearts is Light, and Heartless cannot live within the Light. The four keyblades are being called upon to defend the Light, as the Heartless are beginning to rise against it. I fear that if this war is won by either side, Kingdom hearts will be destroyed."   
  
"Destroyed? But what happens then?" Kairi asked, the pieces starting to fall into place.  
  
Ansem closed his eyes. "The end of all worlds. Darkness cannot exist within the Light of Kingdom Hearts, but to try to fill it with Darkness would disrupt the balance. Even if the Light won this war, destroying the Darkness would cause the same disaster."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	16. Interruption

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft and Disney.  
  
This was all going to be in chapter 15, but it turned out way to long.  
  
Okay, now we're finally getting a little bit of action! Still can't figure out how old Ansem is supposed to be, oh well. This can't be worse than a Yuffie/Sephiroth pairing, right?  
  
Don't worry, Ansem will be back to his cheery morbid self soon! Just in case you were worried about me turning him into a pansy…  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi looked up at him in horror, "Then what can we do? We can't just let this happen! Even you must wish to avoid the total destruction of the worlds!" She cried, tugging on his sleeve.  
  
He opened his eyes again and gazed down at her, "I have no idea what anyone could possibly do to stop it. And believe me, I wish I could.."  
  
"Well, you're the King of Heartless, can't you tell them 'no'?" She asked.  
  
Ansem laughed weakly, "No, you've seen it yourself, and I believe we've had this discussion. The more humanoid Heartless have begun defying me, I barely have any control over the shadows and soldiers you still see around the castle."   
  
Kairi was silent for a moment, remembering what she had thought of last night, "Ansem, you said that Kingdom Hearts seemed to have done something to you, what did you mean?" She finally asked.  
  
"I simply meant that since I returned from Kingdom Hearts, things have been, different." he said, looking down at her. Her eyes were silently urging him to go on, and for some reason, he felt he could tell her.  
  
"Well, you already know how the Heartless have begun ignoring me. But ever since my return, I've felt, different, somehow." Something stopped him and he looked away from her.  
  
She almost blushed, noticing that he suddenly appeared slightly uncomfortable. "Ansem," She lowered her voice, reaching out and touching his arm. "I've been meaning to ask you, how exactly, did you return to power?" he looked down at the floor, studying it before giving her a confused look.   
  
She laughed, "I mean, last time, you used Riku to achieve a physical appearance.. And I was just wondering if maybe, you did something like that again…" She knew she must have sounded really suspicious and rude, but she had to know if he was using someone like he used Riku.  
  
He seemed surprised that she would ask such a question, and he stared oddly at the bookcase in front of him. After several uncomfortable moments, he finally looked back to Kairi.  
  
"..No." The corner of his mouth twitched, a smile threatening to cross his face. "That is one thing I find truly remarkable about the effect the Light had on me. I bet you can imagine my shock when I crawled out of the darkness of the End of the World, to find that I had been restored to my original body." He said quietly.  
  
Kairi couldn't help but stare. "You're original body? You mean, Kingdom hearts restored your body? But I thought it had been destroyed!"   
  
"Apparently, Kingdom Hearts holds more secrets than we may ever be capable of comprehending. Though, if Darkness is capable of stealing your heart and destroying your body, then it only makes sense that Light should be able to restore your heart and reverse the effects of the Darkness." he said, holding up a gloved hand an flexing it.  
  
Kairi was astonished, so this was Ansem's own original body? She couldn't believe it. Reaching up, she gently grabbed his hand, pulling it close and inspecting it. He seemed real enough, and she looked up into his eyes. Had they always been such a brilliant shade of orange? She blushed lightly, releasing his hand.  
  
He felt an unfamiliar jolt in his stomach, his heart almost skipping a beat.   
  
"So, what are you going to do about the war?" She asked rather shakily, unable to look away from him.  
  
"I don't know." He said simply. "But you should be careful. As a wielder of a keyblade, the Heartless will go to any lengths to take your heart. Perhaps it would be wise for you to begin training before the battle truly begins."   
  
"Are you, worried about me..?" She asked, looking into his eyes seriously.  
  
He couldn't hide the startled look that crossed his face, gaze softening as he thought about it. "Perhaps." he said quietly.  
  
Something in his words hit Kairi like a blow to the stomach. She couldn't remember having ever felt this way around Sora. Oh my God, am I actually falling in love with him? She held her breath, losing herself in his golden stare.  
  
Cautiously, she reached back up, hand pausing slightly in midair. She gulped nervously and gently touched the side of his face. His body went rigid, he wasn't used to being touched, especially not by young women. She just smiled, cupping the side of his face and blushing.  
  
After a moment, he relaxed, dropping his book. He pulled his gloves off and tossed them to the side, reaching an unsure hand up and resting it on Kairi's, closing his eyes against her warmth.   
  
He looked back at her as he felt her hand slide up over his shoulder. Slowly, he reached down and wrapped his arms around her thin body, pulling her closer and nuzzling her soft neck. She leaned into him so willingly, he was surprised, tightening his grip protectively around her.  
  
"Kairi..?" he whispered, pulling back to look into her eyes. It had to be some kind of trick, some trap set up by his replica. He was the King of the Heartless, no one could ever love him…  
  
"Ansem." She whispered back, blush fading as she looked boldly up into his eyes.  
  
That was enough, all doubts were pushed out of his mind as he looked into her confident eyes. He leaned down, her soft lips pressing firmly against his own. She moved her hand up and gripped the back of his neck, absently playing with his hair as she leaned in closer. He seemed a bit awkward to Kairi, so she pulled back, gazing up into his questioning face.   
  
She smiled, giggling as she slid in, pressing her body up against his and pulling him back down to her lips. He barely had time to react as she moved her mouth forcefully against his, convincing him to part his lips. She was surprised at how good he tasted, allowing his hands to slip lower down her back as she deepened the kiss.  
  
~*~  
  
Yuffie snuck quickly across the walkway, silently pushing the entrance door open as she ducked inside. Kairi, hmm, I wonder where he's keeping her. She leapt up the stairs, pressing her ear against the library door. She thought she could hear voices inside, so she spun around. Let's see, here we go!   
  
She bounced across the floor and flung herself onto the lift, rolling off onto the floor above and scampering back to the upper library door.   
  
Too easy. She thought, silently sneaking in the door and crawling along the floor. She was sure she had heard voices now, down below. She cautiously peeked over the edge of the balcony, searching the floor below for the Heartless king.  
  
Oh, there he is! But, what's Kairi doing with him? She had expected to see Kairi in some tests tube somewhere deeper into the castle, not standing right next to him in the library! She ducked back down, thinking for a moment. Maybe she was brainwashed already? Is it that easy to brainwash someone? What should I do now that I found her? She turned and peeked over the edge again, noticing that their voices had been lowered. She couldn't understand what they were saying.   
  
She quickly ducked back down, crawling quietly over to the table and pulling a sheet of paper off of it. Weird, it's a diagram of Riku's keyblade. What's Ansem doing with this? She wondered, folding it up and stuffing it into her pocket. She leaned up and sorted through the books and other papers on the tabletop, finding nothing of interest.  
  
She snuck back over to the railing, peeking over the top and refocusing on the two figures almost directly below her.   
  
Oh my- Is he really-? Did she just-?! Yuffie would have shouted in surprise had her voice not caught in her throat.   
  
A Heartless replica of Kairi rose out of the ground right behind Yuffie. She spun, leaping up and drawing her shuriken as she yelped, tripping over the railing and tumbling down to the floor below. She landed almost gracefully in a crouch, but had to roll to absorb the impact, leaving her sprawled at the base of a bookcase.  
  
Upon realizing that they had an intruder, Ansem and Kairi all but shoved each other away. Ansem retrieving his gloves and Kairi straightening her skirt.  
  
"Yuffie! What are you doing here?!" She cried, helping her friend up.   
  
"Dammit," She muttered, "That's twice. Is it just me?" She asked, looking up innocently into Kairi's surprised face.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	17. Negation

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Which is why it's fan fiction.  
  
  
  
Just one more thing, I feel obligated to point out once more, for those of you who can't catch hints (mainly my friends), Kairi would be nearing her 17th birthday at this point. Ya know, the official Squaresoft images of Ansem seriously don't look like the Ansem you see in the game.   
  
Well, I know he's probably a lot older, but since this is a fan fiction, let's just say that Ansem is around 28 right now, how's that? That's about the most popular vote right now on my little poll anyway, so, meh.  
  
One more thing, in the game, Squall and his little group of friends clearly state that they grew up in Hollow Bastion and that Ansem was their king, just in case you didn't actually play the game. I hadn't realized it before, but this story is gonna be hella lot longer than I thought it was going to be back when I said it was going to be hella long.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi stared at her friend in astonishment, unable to believe that she was actually standing right in front of her.   
  
"Yuffie, what are you doing here?" She repeated, watching as the slightly ditzy ninja dusted herself off and rubbed her bruised knee.  
  
She looked back up to the red-head, pouting, "To be honest, I'm here to make sure you're alright." She cast a scowl over in Ansem's direction, "Apparently you two are getting along just fine, though."  
  
Kairi bit back a smile and glanced over at the white-haired man. He had his back turned to them again, flipping through the pages of another book and appearing as though nothing had happened.  
  
Yuffie scowled darkly at him and stomped away, cursing angrily under her breath as she tried to tear the images of them out of her mind. She managed to cast a weak reassuring smile at Kairi before disappearing around the corner of the shelves, still muttering icy curses.   
  
Kairi couldn't help but giggle when she looked up at Ansem and noticed his unusually stiff posture. To the untrained eye, you might never catch on that he was slightly embarrassed.  
  
She smiled as she walked up to him, reaching out and gripping the sleeve of his coat. He slowly turned and looked down at her, his thoughts hidden behind his golden eyes. Kairi was about to say something when Yuffie's startled shout rang out inside the library.  
  
"KAIRI!" She howled as the familiar replica rose out of the floor to inspect her.  
  
Kairi gave Ansem's arm a reassuring squeeze before she darted after the ninja, calling out to her.  
  
~*~  
  
Yuffie stared around the room, dumbfounded. "This is your bedroom? This has to be one of the fanciest rooms in the castle!" She exclaimed as Kairi hastily shoved various things into a bag the replica had gotten for her.  
  
"Where did you get all the new clothes, anyway?" She asked, examining the black dress she had worn the day before.  
  
Kairi snatched it away, folding it and placing it in the bag. "Ansem said I could have anything I found in one of the old bedrooms…" She sighed, wondering again about its previous owner.  
  
Yuffie thought for a moment, "So, how are you, anyway?" She asked quietly, glancing suspiciously toward the doorway.  
  
Kairi shrugged, "I'm fine. Or did you mean, how has he treated me?" She replied, looking up at the other girl.  
  
Yuffie ran a hand through her hair, "Well, yeah." She said, sounding a bit guilty.  
  
Kairi grinned, "Actually, he's been a perfect gentleman." She giggled, leaving out the part when he abandoned her in the Chapel for several hours.  
  
Yuffie was about to say more when footsteps sounded in the hall, Ansem appearing at the door moments later. He said nothing, simply leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and watched as Kairi finished packing. It didn't take long for the two girls to notice that he was ignoring Yuffie.  
  
She huffed slightly, grabbing the bag as soon as Kairi finished packing it up and stomping out the door. "I'll go get the gummi ship ready." She muttered, trying to tone down the bitterness in her voice as she shoved past Ansem.  
  
The two watched her as she disappeared down the stairs.   
  
"I think she's mad at me." Ansem stated dully.  
  
Kairi laughed, "She'll get over it." She looked up at him, noting the slightly disappointed look on his face. "I'm sorry.. I wish I didn't have to go." She said quietly, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "But, especially after what you told me, my friends need my help…" She trailed off as he turned and looked back at her.  
  
He forced a small smile, "Sora, needs you." He said softly, looking away again.  
  
His words hit her like a slap in the face, and she almost gasped. "You know that's not what I meant." She whispered, "I-I love you." She looked up at him seriously as he slowly turned to face her.  
  
He stared at her wordlessly for a moment, "I love you, too.." he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as she pulled him into a hug.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said softly, nuzzling the side of her face.  
  
"Why?" She asked, leaning back to look up into his eyes.  
  
He gazed sadly at her for a moment, "Because it can never work.."  
  
She stared at him, completely lost for words. She felt a sudden wave of anger toward Sora and the others. Angry tears slowly began streaming down her face, and she pulled him down to her in a desperate kiss. She was shaking when he pulled away, reaching down and taking a thick book from a shadow Heartless and handing it to her.  
  
"Here, take this. It's a collection of plays written years ago by a poet named Shakespeare. It was one of my favorites, and, I want you to have it." He said quietly, handing the book to her and turning back out into the hall.  
  
She examined the book for a moment, then dashed out to say goodbye. She looked up and down the hall, but he had already disappeared. Wiping the tears from her face, she quickly made her way down to Yuffie's gummi ship, ignoring the ninja's questioning gaze as she slammed the door shut and buckled herself in.   
  
She peered back out the window as they rose up above the falls, watching as Hollow Bastion came into view. Before the gummi ship jumped into warp, she was sure she caught a glimpse of Ansem, standing on a balcony and watching as they departed.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yuffie's back! YUFFIE'S BACK!!" Selphie shouted joyously as she bounded into the dining hall. Immediately, meals were abandoned as the sound of chairs scraping against the floor filled the room as a wild stampede made for the doors.  
  
"Already?" Sora and Riku exchanged suspicious glances and dashed after the others.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yuffie, promise me one thing." Kairi broke the long awkward silence that had settled between them since their departure.  
  
"Huh?" Yuffie replied, slowly bringing the gummi ship down outside the castle gates.  
  
"Promise you won't tell anyone about me and Ansem?" She pleaded.  
  
Yuffie giggled, "Sure, just as long as you don't tell anyone I got caught."   
  
Kairi smiled happily at her friend, unbuckling herself and grabbing her bags as the ship landed.  
  
Yuffie threw open the door, receiving a hearty welcome from the large group of bystanders.   
  
"Yuffie!! You're back! How'd it go?" Selphie shouted, giving her friend a big hug and bouncing around with her.  
  
Curious shouts and welcomes were shouted out at her from the crowd, reverberating off the castle walls as she tried to calm everyone down.  
  
Sora stepped forward, "What about Kairi? Did you see her?" he asked urgently, Riku grabbing his arm and stepping up next to him. Both were focused intently on the small ninja as she gazed soberly at them.  
  
Kairi gathered her bags together and climbed off of the ship, setting them down and closing the door behind her. "Hey, guys." She said nervously, everyone turning to stare at her in surprise.  
  
"KAIRI!" They all screamed at once, dashing forward to check if she was alright.   
  
Sora and Riku jumped on her, nearly crushing her in a group hug and swinging her around. "You're okay! Don't do that, Kairi! We were so worried about you!" Sora cried happily.  
  
~*~   
  
Everyone had managed to calm back down and had settled into the garden once again, preparing for another meeting.  
  
King Mickey walked in and seated himself next to Kairi. "Now, Kairi, while you were in Hollow Bastion, did you manage to overhear anything that Ansem might be planning? Anything could be helpful, so please don't hesitate to tell us even if it's something small." He said, urging her to speak up.  
  
She took a deep breath, gazing around at the anxious faces before telling them what Ansem had told her.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	18. Incursion

Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
  
Sorry, Dormouse, I know exactly how you feel. Is this a little closer to being a whole bag of chips? Once you pop, you just can't stop, I hate it when I run out of chips before I'm done! Eventually I would like to turn this into a doujinshi. I will try to make the chapters longer now, so sorry if some parts get a little rushed or dragged out a bit longer than necessary. This chapter itself was meant to be longer, but I'm leaving this later today in the morning, and it's already after 3, so, yea.  
  
Sometime, I'm going to take this story down so I can paste two or more chapters together, otherwise, there will be way too many chapters by the time I'm done with it. So don't be alarmed if it says there are suddenly only 8 chapters or something, that's just me trying to cut back. I won't shorten it at all, just reorganize. M'kay?  
  
Aw, sorry, chibilinnet, that part really wasn't supposed to make you cry. That's cute, though! Thanks for your reviews, people! And yeah, I am a big Shakespeare fan. I like how this chapter turned out, and just in case you don't catch on, Riku is wearing that cool cloak thingy from KH II. Not sure how he got it, but meh. Mickey has Ebay, right? Please post more reviews, I love reading what you have to say!  
  
~~~~~  
  
The hallway was quiet as Sora led Kairi to her guest room. He hadn't said very much since the meeting, just cast nervous glances at her every few minutes. Pushing open a door, he stepped inside, dropping her stuff on the bed and turning to look at her.  
  
"Here's your room." He said, shutting the door and flopping down on the bed. "So, uh, how was it?" He asked quietly, staring intently at her as she thought up an answer.  
  
"Well, he left me alone most of the time.. He just let me wander around the castle and only came to me when he had something to say." She said simply, turning to unpack her bags of new clothing into her dresser.  
  
Sora was silent, contemplating this for a moment. "He didn't, try anything? Didn't try to turn you into a Heartless or anything?" he asked curiously.  
  
Kairi bit herself to hold in a giggle. "No, he was, quiet." She said.  
  
Sora snorted, "That doesn't sound like the Ansem I know," He said, "Maybe he has a crush on you!" He laughed, ducking out of the way as an empty bag went flying at his head.  
  
Kairi quickly turned back to the dresser, hiding the blush that had crossed her face. "Oh! Shut up, Sora!" She forced out a giggle, hiding the fact that he might as well have just squeezed her bruised heart.  
  
He watched in silence for a moment, just happy that she was back safely. He stood up and walked over to her, leaning against the dresser. After a moment, she huffed, roughly pushing the bag down against the carpet and looking up at him.   
  
"Sora, I want to go home." She said softly, biting back her tears.   
  
Sora watched her, bending down and resting his hand on her back as her shoulders shook gently. He sighed, "We can ask the King, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now." he whispered in her ear.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned in to bury her face in his shoulder. She cried softly into his shirt, trying to enjoy the experience of being so close to him. She smiled grimly to herself, finding that she was unable to get Ansem out of her mind. It was almost funny, just a few months ago, she would have done anything to have Sora fawn over her like this. But now that he finally was, all she wanted was for him to be someone else…  
  
Yuffie chose that moment to burst through the door, skidding to a stop a few feet from them.   
  
"Yuffie!" Sora cried, jumping up and helping Kairi to her feet.  
  
Kairi giggled, wiping the tears from her face as she watched the hyper ninja. "That's twice, Yuffie. You sure are good at bursting in on people!" She laughed.  
  
Yuffie held up three fingers, "Nuh-uh! That's three times!" She said almost proudly, dashing forward and latching onto Sora's arm. "Now, out! I need to talk to Kairi, alone!" She hollered, yanking him toward the door.   
  
"Wait! You got to be with her the whole time in the gummi ship!" He complained, trying desperately to get away from her.  
  
"Usually, I might let you stay, but we really need to talk." She huffed, pushing roughly on his back as he braced himself in the doorway.  
  
"But-!" He cried, cut off when Yuffie interrupted him.  
  
"Girl problems!" She shouted, receiving a surprised look as he was thrown out into the hallway, the door slamming and locking after him.  
  
Yuffie turned and faced Kairi, skipping quickly over to her. "So." She chirped. "You and Sora seem pretty close. He's a nice guy, didn't try to turn the world to darkness." She sang casually, slumping down against Kairi's dresser.  
  
Kairi struggled to hold in the sudden surge of anger toward the ninja, turning instead to kick a half full bag across the carpet. "Yuffie.. Just, drop it. Okay?" She clutched her shoulders tightly and stared down at the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. "Why are you in here, anyway?" She asked, the bitterness in her voice stinging herself.  
  
Yuffie sighed, "Because I know you need someone to talk to, and I'm pretty sure you're not about to go tell anyone else about what happened." She said quietly, moving over to stand in front of the younger girl. "I'm sorry, I guess Ansem isn't really that bad.. I mean, other than the weird obsession with darkness and the whole evil Heartless thing, I guess he's okay." She said quietly, suddenly finding the top of the dresser extremely interesting.  
  
"Yuffie, didn't you say you grew up in Hollow Bastion back when Ansem was still king?" Kairi asked, wiping her face with her hand. "What was he like?"  
  
Yuffie thought for a moment, "Well, the first few years that I can remember, he was kinda nice, quiet and a little solitary, but still nice. It's not like he was always evil, that didn't happen until way later. But I suppose before the Heartless, he was a good king. He really cared about the people of Hollow Bastion. His only real fault was his curiosity. He was always studying something, it was just a matter of time before it got him into trouble. I dunno, I'm really not the one to talk to about this, I never really saw him much before he went all crazy." She yawned, "Ugh, it's late. I'm going to bed. Good night." She waved over her shoulder as she turned abruptly and walked back out the door, closing it gently behind herself.  
  
Kairi sighed, flinging herself back onto the bed and burying her face in her velvety pillows. After a while, she sat up, remembering the book Ansem had handed her before she left. Reaching down, she pulled it swiftly out of the bag at the foot of the bed, pulling herself up as she flipped it open.   
  
It was written in a strange kind of calligraphy she'd never seen before, and it took her a few minutes to figure it out. She flipped quickly through the pages, watching as the words flew by. Her thumb slipped from the page, letting the book fall open on it's own account. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at the title on the page. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. There was a piece of paper wedged between the pages, and she gently pulled it out and unfolded it.   
  
It was a beautiful sketch of a young couple, lips nearly touching as they embraced. The male had the Heartless emblem cut into his skin, blood seeping slowly down his bare chest. The girl was holding a small dagger poised above it, tears running down her face as she gazed up at him. Below the picture, Ansem had written in neat script, 'Parting is such sweet sorrow'.  
  
Kairi's heart skipped a beat as she traced a finger over the paper. She smiled when she realized she had never thought of him as being an artist. Sitting up, she quickly flipped the page of the book and began reading.  
  
~*~  
  
The wind howled angrily as it swept around the castle, tearing around the empty courtyards and shredding the garden. Thick rain pounded unmercifully down on the earth, puddle forming rapidly as the storm worsened.   
  
A crash of thunder jolted Kairi out of her sleep. She gazed around the room in surprise, eyes resting on the book that had slipped to her side. The picture Ansem had sketched marked the last page she had read before falling asleep. She picked it up, scanning the page as she noticed she had only made it to the beginning of Act II. Sighing sadly, she stood up, stretching her cramped muscles and walking to the window.   
  
Another crash of thunder made her jump, and she gazed down at the thrashed courtyard below her. The rain pounded heavily on her window, and it blurred the glass. Noticing a dark shape against the back wall, she squinted into the storm. She was sure she had seen it move. A flash of lightening lit up the courtyard, and she caught a glimpse of silver. Turning abruptly, she grabbed her hoodie, quietly making her way out the door and down the hall.  
  
~*~  
  
Sneaking quietly along the corridor, she pulled open the courtyard doors and stepped out into the storm. Peeking around the corner of the wall, she gazed down the covered walkway that surrounded the yard, immediately noticing the hunched form leaning against the cold stone wall. Stepping bravely forward, she made her way down the walkway, pulling her sweatshirt tighter around her shoulders as a cold blast of wind hit her. The figure looked up, aquamarine eyes studying her from under the heavy cloak with mild surprise as she approached him.  
  
"Hey, Riku. What are you doing out here?" She asked, shivering slightly as gazing up at her friend with concern.  
  
He smiled, looking back out at the vicious rain. "Nothing really, it just doesn't seem right, being inside this big castle all of the time. But even now, I'm still kinda inside the castle, I just can't get away." He laughed quietly, looking down at her, "King Mickey says I'm claustrophobic."  
  
Kairi shuffled uncomfortably against the cold, cringing as a wave of rain was blown against them. Huffing, she stepped forward, unzipping the front of his cloak and snuggling down against his warm t-shirt. "It's freezing out here!" She complained, still used to the tropical weather of Destiny Islands.  
  
Riku laughed, "What are you even doing out here?" He asked, wrapping his arms firmly around her shoulders.  
  
"I saw you out my bedroom window, you looked so lonely. Different from back home, when I always saw you on the paopu tree." She giggled, reaching up and tugging gently on his silver hair. "So what's wrong, anyway?"   
  
"You're so suspicious! Nothings wrong, I just, don't really like it here." He said simply, pulling her closer and shielding her as another wave of rain blew over them. "And what about you? Something's been bothering you since you got here. Did Ansem do something to you? Wanna talk about anything?" He asked, concern showing on his face.  
  
"… Promise you won't tell? Not even Sora?" she asked, looking directing into his eyes.  
  
He looked slightly hurt, "Kairi, you know I'd never tell." He said quietly.  
  
She continued to stare up at him, "Not even King Mickey?" She lowered her voice.  
  
Riku stared at her in surprise. "The King? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice taking on a slight tone of urgency. "Was it something Ansem did? What is it? You know you can tell me anything." He said when she lowered her gaze and didn't answer.  
  
Slowly, she looked back up at him, taking a deep breath. "I-I kissed him." She said simply, a blush showing as she rested her forehead back down against Riku's chest.  
  
At hearing her words, he almost fainted. "You- kissed him." He stated, unable to believe what he had heard. Shaking his head, he pulled her back by the shoulders, leaning down and looking into her face. "Why?" He asked slowly.  
  
Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to keep eye contact with him, "I don't know, it just felt right! I'm not sure why, but I love him…" She whimpered, closing her eyes and waiting for him to yell at her.  
  
To her surprise, he pulled her back into a hug. He ran his hand reassuringly through her hair, think for a moment before forming his reply.   
  
"It felt right… You didn't sense anything evil about him? How did he treat you?" he asked, barely able to believe he was actually reacting this well.  
  
She sighed, "Sometimes there was something, different about him. Like when he was angry, then I could sense something dark around him. But he never tried to hurt me, he was quiet, and seemed lonely. He usually didn't even touch me, just kept his distance and let me wander Hollow Bastion alone." She said sadly, pausing as Riku gave her a suspicious look.  
  
"Didn't usually touch you? When did he?" He asked, his voice reflecting how eager he was to dislike Ansem.  
  
She looked up at him, startled. "Well, he picked me up once, when we were walking around Hollow Bastion. But it was only so he could fly us over to another platform or something. And I guess when I kissed him in the library, but I started that.." She trailed off, blushing furiously under Riku's questioning gaze.  
  
He sighed. "How did you wind up stuck there anyway?" he asked, a flash of lightening lighting up his face.  
  
She shifted nervously in his arms. "Well, the Heartless had gone after him, too, when they attacked us in the library. I didn't sense anything evil about him then, and it seemed wrong to not help someone when they need it. So I went back inside. Shows how much you guys care about me, taking off without me like that." She smirked at him, hiding in his cloak as another burst of wind blew rain into the faces.  
  
He shook his head, hugging her tightly and bringing his mouth down to her ear. "Alright, I trust you, Kairi. But I don't approve. Now go back to bed before we both freeze to death." he said, guiding her back to the door.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	19. Specilation

Disclaimer: I don't own it. M'kay?  
  
Alright, I decided against reorganizing the story into bigger chapters for now, mainly because I found it way too confusing. So instead I guess I'll just make the chapters longer. I don't mean to rant, but I'm all excited. You see, I didn't mean to, but I kinda thought up a plot for what could possibly be a very fun sequel. I'd really like to say some more about it, but it would give away some important parts coming up soon in this story.   
  
What do you guys think of me writing a sequel? It would start being posted right after this one finishes, I like the plot that much! The only thing is, it would be really close to being a spin-off from the usual Kingdom Hearts story. All the characters would still be there, but not as involved as some new ones. It'll make a fun doujinshi! I'm done for now, please review!  
  
~~~~~  
  
A flash of lightening lit up the hallway as Riku guided Kairi back to her room. They were both soaking wet, and there was a trail of rainwater down the hall. Kairi giggled when she noticed it, blaming it on Riku's heavy cloak before skipping quietly into her room.  
  
She shook her head to get some of the water out of her hair, staring out the window as she watched the rain pound against it. Riku came up behind her and helped her struggle out of her wet sweatshirt, tossing it unceremoniously into her bathroom before returning to her with a large towel.  
  
She smiled innocently at him, receiving a smirk before he threw the towel over her head. Pulling it tightly around her shoulders, she stared up at him.  
  
"Are you disappointed in me?" She asked quietly, not entirely sure Yuffie wouldn't burst in on them.  
  
Riku looked surprised, "No, why would I be?" he asked, pulling her back into a hug. She looked up at him, ignoring the fact that he was getting her towel wet, too.  
  
"Because of Ansem?" She added, "Didn't you used to, love me?" She blushed and hid it by snuggling into his shoulder.   
  
He was silent for a moment, surprised. "Kairi, I'll always love you. And I promise I'll always be there for you. If Ansem makes you happy, then I'm not going to interfere. I trust your judgment, and I suppose it is possible that Ansem could have changed." He sighed, "I know you couldn't love him otherwise…"   
  
Kairi smiled, was it possible that Riku understood what was happening? She looked up into his eyes, grinning mischievously. "So does that mean you two can get along now?" She asked almost hopefully.  
  
He laughed, "No." He said simply, tightening his grip around her shoulders. "Even if you love him, I can never forgive him for what he's done in the past."   
  
She pouted, trying for all the world to look like Sora. "Oh well, it's not like it could ever work anyway…It's just a silly crush, I'll get over it.." She said, feeling her heart jolt when she heard herself say it. Tears formed in her eyes and she buried her face back into Riku's neck before he noticed.   
  
He rested his cheek against her hair, sighing softly. "Well, Sora's not that bad." He said honestly, ignoring the soft punch that landed on his shoulder.  
  
Gripping his wet t-shirt in her fist, she inhaled his scent and smiled. Even after standing out in the rain for hours, he still smelled like the paopu tree back on Destiny Islands.  
  
~*~Two months and fifteen days later~*~  
  
Kairi huffed, flopping backward into the sand. "Aww, I'm beat. Are we done yet?" She whined, kicking off her shoes and pulling herself toward the warm waves of the ocean. She sighed in relief as the water rushed over her exhausted form.  
  
Sora towered over her, keyblade in hand. "Tired already? You're such a girl!" he laughed, ducking the shoe she launched at his head. He kicked off his own shoes and put the keyblade away, charging into the waves as Kairi fought to get away from him.  
  
The two laughed and chased each other around for a while, enjoying the feel of the warm sunshine.   
  
Kairi collapsed back on the beach, letting the waves lap around her as Sora flopped down on her left. "It feels so good to be home! You never realize how great simple things like sand are until it's not there anymore." She sighed, snuggling down into the familiar sand.  
  
"Yeah, I seriously didn't think the King would let us go. I wonder what the Heartless are planning.." Sora said, flinging a handful of wet sand at Riku as he approached.  
  
He dodged it easily and bonked Sora on the head with the dark keyblade, seating himself on Kairi's other side and poking the girl in the stomach.  
  
"So, how was last night?" Riku asked smugly, casting a mischievous glance over at Sora.  
  
Kairi giggled, "Sora, did you forget to tell your parents when you left?" She asked suspiciously, sitting up and staring at him.  
  
He blushed, resting his hands on the back of his neck. "..Yeah." He mumbled, looking up at the clear blue sky.  
  
Riku grinned at him, reaching down into his pocket and pulling something out. "Here, I got you something." He laughed, tossing the object to Sora.   
  
"Wow, thanks, Riku." Sora groaned sarcastically, playing with the small pad of sticky notes before shoving them in his pocket.  
  
Kairi laughed, falling back into the sand and closing her eyes. "Wow, I didn't think it was possible, but it's just like before the Heartless." She sighed happily, listening to the soothing sounds of the waves.  
  
Sora glanced up, "Huh? What is?" He asked, looking at her like she was crazy.   
  
Riku laughed and shoved him back, "She means everything is like it was before the Heartless came. It's like this island never even changed." He said.  
  
Sora pouted, pulling himself up and pouncing on his silver-haired friend. "I knew that!" he growled playfully, releasing a soft 'oof' as he was thrown over onto his back in the sand.  
  
"Then why'd you ask?" Riku growled back, jumping on the brunette as he attempted to get away.  
  
Kairi leapt to her feet, jumping over the wrestling boys as they rolled across the sand. She rested her hands on her hips, shaking her head in amusement as she watched them go tumbling into the ocean.   
  
Selphie appeared next to her, sighing dreamily. "This is perfect, beautiful sunny day, warm ocean, no more Heartless." She waved happily at Tidus as he and Wakka charged into the waves after their friends.   
  
Kairi giggled, "Don't get your hopes up, I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of the Heartless. It makes me nervous, actually. They've been so quiet, like they're planning something big."  
  
"Yeah, speaking of which, how was your training session with Sora?" Selphie asked, hands clamping behind her back as she bounced in place.  
  
Kairi smiled, "Oh, it was fun." She said sarcastically. "He says I'm getting better, but I should avoid trying magic attacks." She sighed, shaking her head to rid herself of the mental images.  
  
Selphie laughed, "Yeah, I saw that. At least you're fast, Sora looked like he was having a hard time keeping up with you. What are you so happy about? You look like you're about to explode." She giggled.   
  
Kairi smiled, "It's my birthday." She declared proudly.   
  
"Wow, really?! I completely forgot! I'm so sorry!" Selphie gasped, hugging her friend tightly. "You're seventeen now, aren't you? You're so lucky." She huffed, "So, what do you want? I'll get you a present!"   
  
Kairi blushed, "Oh, you don't have to get me a present, I really don't feel like celebrating it. Maybe we could just get together later with Yuffie."  
  
Selphie shrugged mischievously, "Well okay, suit yourself." She waved quickly before bouncing away.  
  
Kairi turned and gazed back out at the silver and blue waves. She watched as Tidus leapt on Sora, knocking him back into the ocean as Riku and Wakka laughed. They looked so normal, like nothing had ever happened. Kairi sighed contentedly, there's just one thing missing…  
  
~*~  
  
Hollow Bastion was empty and quiet. The Heartless had disappeared, save for the few loyal replicas and the small shadows. It almost seemed as though the castle was dead, giving off a sense of loneliness.  
  
Ansem sighed, slamming his book down onto the library table. It was growing painfully clear that he was no longer in control, he wasn't even sure why some of the Heartless had even remained with him. Obviously there was some other source drawing their attention.  
  
He leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling before looking back at the replica beside him.  
  
"That's not helping." He growled, watching the Heartless sulk on the floor, still in Kairi's form. He had hardly seen it during the fast few weeks, but lately it had developed the habit of following him around.   
  
It looked up at him, the faintest glimmer of anger evident on its face. In a ripple of purple shadows, it shifted, taking on Sora's form to spite him.   
  
He glared at it, finally looking away again. "Better, at least. If you hate me so much, why don't you go with the rest of them?" He asked, watching it sulk over to the bookcase and stare blankly at it. It looked back at him, sticking out its tongue.   
  
He groaned, "Fine, then why don't you go to her?" He snapped, standing up and walking over to it, arms crossed over his chest. It looked at him blankly, finally looking away and vanishing into the bookshelves.  
  
He turned abruptly and walked out the door, floating down to the bottom floor and gliding out the double doors to the walkway. He stood under the arch, watching the sun set across the sea. Thoughts of Kairi drifted back into his mind, but he simply shook his head.   
  
It seemed like no matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He hated himself for it. He wanted to forget about her, it was best for both of them. There was an unfamiliar pain in his chest, and he inhaled sharply in surprise.   
  
He almost laughed at the irony, gripping his chest and staring blankly ahead. He couldn't understand what had happened. Was it possible that at some point he had actually reacquired the ability to love? If so, then had it been the light of Kingdom Hearts, or was there something more that was simply beyond his understanding? Just thinking about it made him question his comprehension of the light and dark forces. Clearly there was more to be researched.   
  
Turning to go back inside, he stopped. I don't want to do research, I don't want to conduct experiments. I'm tired of flipping through books in a pathetic attempt to understand things. He spun around, staring suspiciously at the retreating sun. I've spent my whole life doing research, and look where it's taken me!   
  
He walked slowly to the edge of the walkway, seating himself with his back resting against the arch and one leg dangling down over the ledge. Closing his eyes, he rested his head back against the stone.   
  
It's so quiet here, I wish Kairi would come back…  
  
He jolted back up, startled at his own random thought. No! He didn't want her to come back! If she came back, then he would have to hear her tell him why they could never be together. Because he was the reason the Heartless were destroying people's lives. Because she held the keyblade of light, destined to one day vanquish him and his Heartless. Because he was too old for her, she deserved someone closer to her own age. His heart wrenched, because she was better than that… Why should she love him, when she could have Sora, the Keyblade Master? He was just Ansem, not even in control of the Heartless anymore, useless. Sure, he was still king of Hollow Bastion, but what good was that when there was nothing in Hollow Bastion?  
  
He sighed. Besides, if she came back, she would just be miserable. Such a social creature, just the short time she was forced to spend there before must have been excruciatingly boring. He still couldn't understand why she had kissed him. It had been imprinted in his memory, one of his few truly happy moments. Something he hadn't felt in years.  
  
He wasn't exactly surprised to find that deep down, he held onto the hope that she could actually love him, despite who he was. He felt so calm and content around her, she seemed to radiate peace wherever she went. And she had been so warm.. When she had reached up and touched his face. He wasn't used to being touched, wasn't used to being around other humans for that matter. And instead of scowling, she had smiled at him, just that simple smile, and everything had seemed alright. Such was the power of females, but still, had it been anyone else he would have growled and walked away.   
  
He wanted her to come back, even if it meant Sora came with her, anything just to see her again. To see her smile. Happiness was such a rare thing for him, he wanted to feel it again. Standing up, he slowly made his way back into the castle. Casting one last glance over his shoulder at the retreating sun, he ducked back inside. He would wait and see, if she wanted to see him, she would let him know it. If not, then he would stay out of her way, he owed her that much.  
  
~*~  
  
"Kairi! Hey!" Sora called, dashing up to her. He jogged to a stop, trying not to look too excited.  
  
She turned and smiled, "Hi, Sora. What's up?" She asked, waving briefly to Selphie and Yuffie as they continued down the street.  
  
He shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Well, I was wondering, since it's your birthday, maybe I could take you somewhere?" he asked shyly, giving her his trademark grin.  
  
She blinked in surprise, "Uh, okay. Where to?" She asked.   
  
He scrounged around in his pockets for a minute, "Well, how about some ramen?" He asked, counting up his munny.  
  
"Alright." She giggled, taking his arm and continuing down the street.  
  
A few minutes later, they reached the town ramen bar, seating themselves at the counter and placing their orders.  
  
Sora glanced over at Kairi, "So, uh, are you sure you're alright? I mean, lately, you've seemed a little distant…" He trailed off, looking at her honestly.   
  
"Oh, uh, it's nothing really. I've just been worried about the Heartless…" She said quietly, fighting back the light blush. She hated not being able to talk to Sora, he had always been there for her before. It hadn't exactly been a lie, she had been worried about the Heartless in a sense. Mostly her thoughts had been drifting back to Ansem lately, and if the Heartless were acting strangely, then something must be going on with him.   
  
Sora's face reflected his concern, but he knew better than to pry. If it was something important, then she would tell him, she always did.  
  
Before either of them could say more, their ramen arrived. Kairi dug into it thankfully, having something to draw her attention away from the boy next to her. Glancing over at him, she laughed. He was such a glutton, but skinny as hell.  
  
~*~  
  
"Thanks for dinner, Sora." Kairi said quietly, sitting next to him in the sand. It was getting late, and the sun had set hours before. The wind picket up a little, sending a shiver down her spine. Tightening her sweatshirt around her shoulders, she gazed out at the deep purple ocean.  
  
On reflex, Sora scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned her head against his chest and sighed.  
  
"Sora, what do you think would have happened if we had set sail on our raft the day before?" She asked, watching the stars shimmer under the scattered clouds.  
  
Sora thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, maybe we would have all stayed together, maybe we would have traveled to another world and remained oblivious to the Heartless, who knows…" He said, following Kairi's gaze up to the sky.   
  
She bit back a choked sob, shoving her face back into Sora's shirt to hide her sudden tears. He tightened his grip around her, not bothering to ask her what was wrong. It was obviously something she didn't want to talk about.  
  
Wiping the tears from her face, she snuggled down against him. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it, settling back down after a moment. She looked up at him, almost expectantly. "Kairi.. What do you want me to say?" he asked quietly.  
  
She looked away, running her sleeve across her face. Lifting her face back up to him, she tried to smile.   
  
He gazed down into her eyes, not sure what to do. Finally giving up, he pulled her closer, bringing their lips together gently. She stiffened for a moment, then quickly relaxed, sinking into his arms. He was slightly surprised when she gripped his shirt and pressed firmly up against him, his lips parting as their tongues slid together.  
  
Kairi's heart jolted, kissing Sora was nothing like kissing Ansem. Sora was so calm and relaxed, while Ansem was hesitant and curious. Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks as she realized no one could ever replace him.   
  
Pulling gently away from him, she stared into his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Sora.. But I can't. I want to, but.. There's someone else I'm in love with.." She trailed off, standing shakily to her feet and hastily wiping away her tears. Turning quickly, she ran back across the beach to the town, leaving Sora alone with his thoughts.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	20. Connection

Disclaimer: See other disclaimers for details. Not for individual sale.  
  
Whoo, this story is fun to write! I just want to apologize ahead of time in case anyone reading this is offended by the whole mother thing. Just for the record, I don't really have a mother figure anymore. I do have a mother, but I'm more mature than her! lol She doesn't even live with me, though.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi ran down the street, tears streaming across her face. Turning the corner sharply, she glanced ahead and skidded to a stop. Up ahead she could see her friends, relaxing on Selphie's lawn and talking under the soft glow of the streetlights. They hadn't noticed her, so she watched them for a moment before darting down the side street to avoid them.   
  
She didn't want to talk about it, at least, not with them. For a moment, she wondered if she should go find Riku. He seemed to be the only person who would actually listen to her lately, but then again, it had always been that way. Sure, Sora was easy to talk to, but he couldn't take hints worth crap. Sometimes he was even too hyper to sit still, bouncing in place while Kairi tried to tell him about her horrid day.   
  
She shook her head. No, even Riku wouldn't tell her what she wanted to hear. No one on this tiny island would, because everyone knew who Ansem was. All she would get for trying to talk to them about it was tied up in someone's basement to 'protect her from his manipulative evil'.   
  
Something in the back of her mind snapped. Of course! My mother!!   
  
She could have jumped with joy at having parents. That's what they're for! She was absolutely positive at that moment that mothers were invented so that daughters had someone to talk to about boys. Almost smiling, she wiped a hand across her face, managing to get most of the tears off.  
  
She dashed across her back yard and burst through the kitchen door, her father jumping in surprise as she barreled past him.  
  
"Oh, hi, honey! We never see you anymore, how was your day?" he called as she paused in the doorway.  
  
She smiled innocently at him, "It was great! Where's mom?" She fiddled absently with the hem of her skirt, hoping he wouldn't notice the faint traces of tears still on her face.   
  
Obviously, he didn't. "Ummm, I think she's upstairs folding laundry. Oh, bye then.." He waved after her as she darted up the staircase.  
  
"Mom!" she cried, shoving open the door to her parent's bedroom.  
  
"Ahh! Kairi, don't do that!" her mother howled as she grabbed the socks that had gone flying across the bed.  
  
"Sorry.." She wandered slowly into the room, closing the door behind her and plopping down on the large bed.   
  
She snuggled down into the soft blankets, happily reminded that she was home. The familiar scent of blackberries and apples rose up around her as she thrashed happily under the covers. After she successfully knocked the stack of her father's shirts onto the floor, her mother huffed, resting her hand on her hips and glaring playfully at her daughter.  
  
"Did you need something, or did you just come in here to harass me?" She asked, picking up the shirts and throwing them at Kairi. "Here, you get to refold those!"   
  
Kairi ducked back under the covers as the shirts toppled over her. She giggled and sat up, picking one up and proceeding to fold it. After a few awkwardly silent moments, she finally looked up.  
  
"Alright, you win, I need some.. Advice." She said quietly, watching as her mother set down a stack of towels and began on the socks again.   
  
"Oh? On what? Was that terrible Sora boy hassling you again?" She asked jokingly, tossing a pair of socks at Kairi.   
  
She caught them and set them down, sighing softly and looking away. "Actually, he kissed me today." She glanced back up at her mother.  
  
The older woman smiled down at her, "Well then what are you so upset about? He's a sweet boy, and it's about time you found a man to call your own!" She giggled, smile fading as she watched her daughter.  
  
Kairi paused for a moment, "It's kind of hard to explain, but, I just don't love him like that anymore.."   
  
"What? But, Kairi, you've always been crazy about him! I mean, ever since we moved here, you've always loved him! What happened?" She leaned over the bed, resting her hand on the girl's shoulder.   
  
Kairi looked up into her eyes, biting back the urge to sigh and leave. She had to stop walking away from her problems. "Well, you know that feeling you get, like when you finally get something you've been wanting for a long time, but then you find out that it wasn't what you really wanted all along? That all this time, you've been chasing after something, when what would really make you happy was right there?" her mother nodded slowly, sitting quietly on the bed beside her.  
  
She took a deep breath, "Well, let's say you were in love with a boy, but then you met another boy. So then you fall in love with him instead, and find out that you had never truly loved the first boy. But then, even though you know who you really want to be with, you find out that your friends hate him. So, because of your differences, you two can't be together…What would you do?" She asked rather awkwardly, trying her hardest not to sound rushed.  
  
Her mother paused for a minute, completely caught off guard. "Well, If you two are really in love, then it shouldn't matter how different you are. Do you care enough about what your friends think of you, to turn away from someone you loved? Just, listen to your heart, what do you really want to do?" she said simply, turning abruptly and picking up a folded stack of laundry.   
  
"You just think about it, I know you'll make the right choice." She walked quietly out the door, disappearing down the hall.  
  
Kairi sat alone for a moment, finally getting up and walking to her own room. Closing the door softly behind her, she sank down on her bed, not bothering to turn the lights on.  
  
She curled up with the covers pulled around her shoulders, staring at the patches of stars outside her window.   
  
What do I want to do? She laughed softly. I know what I want to do… She shifted in the blankets, pulling them up over her head like a hood. She sighed wearily.   
  
I love Sora, but now that I know he's not what I was looking for, I know I can never truly be happy with him. I'll never be able to get over Ansem, there's something about him that I've never seen in any other man.   
  
Her bottom lip jutted out in an angry pout, looking remarkably like Sora as she glared out at the dark sky. And why shouldn't we be able to be together? It's not like there's a law against it! It's just stupid Sora and his stupid friends! Too wrapped up in the past to realize the change going on around them! Her thoughts shifted back to Riku, at least he understands. Would he still understand if I decided to leave? What would he do then?   
  
She smiled to herself. No, Riku isn't like that. He'd help me, if I explained it all to him, he'd understand. I know he can feel it, too. Ansem isn't the same anymore, Kingdom Hearts changed him, it's still changing him. Is it possible to completely save him? She could still occasionally feel darkness inside of him, obviously, he wasn't completely back to the way he had been before the Heartless, but there was something good there, too. A certain sense of hope.  
  
Oathkeeper materialized in her hand, and she gazed down at it. The light.. Kingdom Hearts.. She held the keyblade of light, was it possible she could help him? Could she possibly use her own keyblade to finish what the Light of Kingdom Hearts had begun? Staring determinedly out the window, she held the keyblade up. Of course, I love him, I can save him, and I will. To show Sora that he isn't evil! He should understand better than anyone that all hearts were born of light!  
  
A sudden wave of determination and anger welled up inside her, and she clutched her chest in surprise. Whoa, where'd that come from? She thought hesitantly, suddenly concerned for Ansem. She closed her eyes, yes, it was Ansem. She could feel it, something was extremely wrong. She put the keyblade away and leaned forward, drawing in a sharp breath as the feeling vanished. Weird, is the keyblade channeling his emotions to me? She shook her head in puzzlement, deciding to ask Riku about it later.   
  
Sighing exhaustedly, she flopped back under the covers, curling up happily as she buried herself under the blankets. Moments later, she fell asleep, oblivious to the dark shape that had emerged from the wall.  
  
~*~   
  
Gasping in surprise, Ansem flung himself out of bed. He landed heavily on the floor and looked around, half expecting to be surrounded by angry Heartless. Slowly untangling himself from the covers, he stood up, shaking slightly.   
  
Just a nightmare, that's all. He tried to calm himself down, tried to convince himself it had only been a dream, but he couldn't shake the looming dread that filled his chest. Running a hand through his now messy hair, he turned around, debating whether or not to attempt getting any more sleep.   
  
He toppled to the floor, fingers digging roughly into the scattered blankets as his back arched in pain. It welled up inside him, threatening to tear apart his soul. He shook in agony, doubling up and crying out from the pain. It finally subsided, leaving him panting and slightly sweaty from the strain.   
  
He rolled over on his back and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't a dream, I have to see…  
  
He pulled himself back up, stumbling over to the closet and retrieving his shirt from the floor. He grabbed his coat and boots, pulling them on as he stumbled hastily out the door.  
  
Within moments, he was bursting through the double doors to the Grand Hall, panting from the flight. There it was, the portal to the Dark Depths. Darkness was seeping out of it, just like it had when he had been trying to unlock Kingdom Hearts.   
  
Angrily, he glided forward, setting down right in front of it and approaching it with caution. He held out his hand, able to feel the absence of light from within. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he stepped forward, close enough to walk through it. He felt it ripple slightly, it was still responding to him. He hadn't completely lost control, yet.  
  
He stepped even closer, anger filling him. If the Dark Depths would still respond to him, then why wouldn't the Heartless? He felt a wave of determination sweep through him, he could make the darkness show him. His thoughts suddenly shifted back to Kairi, what?  
  
He paused, he could feel her focusing on him, was she listening to his emotions? She could feel that something was wrong, too, because he could. He drew his hand away from the seething darkness, trying to reassure her before she got the wrong idea. He could feel the connection break the moment he pulled his hand away, staring dumbfounded at the darkness before him. Was it acting as some sort of conductor?   
  
Hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped through, entering the Dark Depths and gazing around at the empty surroundings. He was surprised to feel disconnected from it, like he was simply alone in a vast desert. It had been the first time since his defeat that he had entered it, but still. Before, he had always felt surrounded by it, like it was drifting through his very soul, but now, it just felt empty, like he didn't belong there at all.   
  
Ignoring the detached feeling, he stepped farther into the darkness, reaching the back wall and digging his hands into it. Slowly, he let it envelope him completely, wrapping around his body and holding him securely in the limbo of the world of Darkness.  
  
He head was pounding, obviously, he was no longer fit to do this, as his heart was no longer devoted to the darkness. However, it hadn't rejected him, so he stayed.   
  
It wasn't long before the familiar hiss filled his senses, rising up until it was the unmistakable voices of the Heartless. It rose to a roar, echoing through him and making him grit his teeth as he fought to stay connected.   
  
Yes, Master, all is according to plan.. His Keyblade poses no threat, Lord.. All is as planned, what else do you wish? Yessss, the girl will be taken shortly, not to worry Lord. Master, all Heartless obey you, what else do you command? Lord, shall we prepare for the attack? When is the Keyblade Master to be taken? Yes, when? His heart is so pure, it calls openly to us! The attack shall commence shortly, Lord Sephiroth.  
  
Ansem jolted in surprise at hearing the name. Sephiroth? He had always been at competition with Ansem, especially when it came time to crown the new king. Of course, Sephiroth had thought that he should have gotten it, being older than Ansem. He had been banished shortly after Ansem had been crowned.  
  
So, he's still determined to beat me. I should have guessed…   
  
Ansem clamped his hands to his ears, trying desperately to muffle the voices hissing around him. From what bits and pieces he could understand, they were planning an attack, on the keyblades? His heart skipped a beat. Kairi! He bit back an angry scream, focusing intently on the voices.  
  
She's under your control, Lord, just give the command. Yes, Master, we understand, preparations shall be made.. The girl suspects nothing, she sleeps. Give the command, Lord, let us take the Keyblade!  
  
Ansem gasped in realization. They're talking about Kairi! They're planning an attack on Kairi and her keyblade! He had to warn her, before it was too late.. He glanced around quickly, nearly slapping himself when he remembered where he was. Being directly tied to the darkness made it impossible for him to open a portal to Destiny Islands, however, he could still focus on the keyblades, making it possible for him to speak to anyone wielding one.  
  
Closing his eyes, he focused all his energy toward Kairi, picturing her in his mind. He prayed it wasn't too late, taking a deep breath and calling out to her.  
  
~*~  
  
Kairi shouted in surprise, flinging the blankets away and scrambling into a sitting position. She stared around the room, Ansem's voice echoing urgently in her mind. Did I really just hear that? She wondered silently, holding a hand to her forehead. She was positive she had heard Ansem yell at her to get up, something about the Heartless…  
  
She yawned, abruptly interrupted as his voice cut through her mind.   
  
Kairi! It's Sephiroth! He's planning an attack on the keyblades!! He shouted urgently, her hands flying instinctively to her ears as she cried out in surprise.   
  
She leapt out of bed, eyes scanning the room again as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Ansem? What's going on? Where are you?"  
  
She spun around, There! Look out, move to your left!! He shouted, his voice rising in slight panic.  
  
Kairi was absolutely puzzled, but she trusted Ansem. Immediately, she dropped down to her left knee and rolled to the side, yelping in surprise as a dark keyblade slammed into the wall where she had been.  
  
Your keyblade! Get out of there!   
  
She threw open the door, Oathkeeper materializing as she dashed down the stairs. Looking quickly over her shoulder, she saw a flash of shadow against the wall, the Heartless was following her.  
  
She threw open the back door, sprinting across her lawn as she tried to recollect herself. "Ansem?! What the hell is going on!!?" She cried, ducking into the trees as she tried to avoid the Heartless.   
  
Sephiroth is trying to get rid of you because he sees your keyblade as a potential hazard to his plans! Can you take care of the Heartless by yourself? He sounded extremely upset about something other than the fact that a Heartless was chasing Kairi.   
  
"Yeah, I think so.." She huffed, bursting out of the trees onto the beach. Up ahead, she could see the bright glow of a campfire, immediately recognizing the three forms seated around it.   
  
"Riku!!" She howled, leaping on him as he cried out in surprise.  
  
"Kairi? What's wrong?" He asked, struggling to pull the startled girl off of him. He glanced over her shoulder, eyes widening as he spotted the Heartless darting after the girl.  
  
"Oh my God! Kairi, what did you do?!" Selphie wailed, clinging to Tidus as he pulled her away from the fire.  
  
Riku immediately produced the dark keyblade, positioning it in front of him as he took on a battle stance.  
  
Kairi finally managed to get a good look at her pursuer, gasping in surprise as she recognized it. "No, what are you doing? I thought you were my friend.." She whimpered, facing her replica with a hurt gaze.   
  
She sank down onto her knees, "No, Riku, don't hurt it.." She whispered, watching as it drew up close to them, stopping several feet from the fire as staring at Riku angrily.  
  
"What? Why? It's trying to take your heart!" He replied, casting her a puzzled glance.  
  
"Ansem, what do I do? It's not right, to kill it…" Frustrated tears formed in her eyes.  
  
You don't have to kill it, use your keyblade. he replied simply, sounding exhausted.  
  
"What? My keyblade?" She wiped a hand across her face, staring at the replica.  
  
Tidus and Selphie exchanged confused looks, glancing around the beach and wondering who Kairi thought she was talking to.  
  
Yes, lock its heart, use the keyblade of light to restore it..-!! He shouted in surprise and pain, gasping before his voice faded.   
  
"Lock its heart? Ansem? Ansem!" Kairi shivered, hoping eh was alright. She shifted her gaze back to the Heartless, standing up and holding Oathkeeper determinedly in front of her.  
  
"Alright.. I can do this.." She watched as it slowly advanced on her, yelping in surprise and dodging away as it pounced.  
  
Riku made as if to help her, but decided against it, stepping back and watching.  
  
It leapt at Kairi again, this time landing on her before she could get away. She cried out in fright, blocking its keyblade as it tried to slash at her. Grinning evilly, it brought a hand up and gripped her throat.  
  
Riku decided it was time to step in, grabbing the Heartless around the waist and lifting it off of Kairi. It kicked and growled at him, thrusting its elbows wherever possible. He noticed nearly right away that it seemed to be draining his energy. A fine layer of sweat formed under his clothing, and he strained to hold on to the thrashing replica.  
  
"Kairi, hurry up! There's something seriously wrong with this thing!" He shouted, pinning its arms behind its back and holding it somewhat still.   
  
Kairi stood shakily to her feet, looking suspiciously at her keyblade before pointing it at the Heartless' chest. Drawing it back, she closed her eyes, focusing of the light from the keyblade and thrusting it swiftly into the wriggling mass.  
  
A sharp scream echoed down the beach, causing everyone to jump in surprise. Kairi watched in amazement as light enveloped the Heartless where her keyblade had pierced its chest. The light became blinding, forcing everyone to cover their faces and turn away. The scream grew louder, and Kairi pulled her keyblade back, hands burning from holding onto it. Immediately, the light vanished, the scream fading softly into the night.  
  
She collapsed into the sand, propping herself up and staring at Riku.   
  
Selphie gasped and immediately covered Tidus' eyes. Riku himself could not believe what he now held in his arms.   
  
A thin young girl rested on Riku's chest, unconscious and completely naked. She appeared to be around Kairi's age, about the same size, with long black hair. She was beautiful.  
  
Riku gasped, "Whoa, Kairi, you did it.. You actually restored someone from their Heartless form!" he cried, finally tearing his gaze away from the girl to stare at his friend.  
  
Kairi crawled forward, resting her hand gently on the girls face. "She's so cold, she needs some cloths.." She looked around for something to give the girl.   
  
"Uh, here.." Riku said, pulling off his cloak and helping Kairi wrap it around the girl. He hoisted her gently into his arms, facing Kairi questioningly.  
  
"What do we do with her?" he asked, ignoring the confused stares they were receiving form Tidus and Selphie.   
  
Selphie rushed forward, "Bring her to my house! Come on!" She tugged Riku forward, taking on a commanding tone. Kairi shrugged, limping after the two and putting Oathkeeper away.   
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	21. Argumentation

Disclaimer: See other disclaimers for details. Please do not consume.  
  
Sorry I haven't updated like, since the plague or something. I was doing some other crap for the story and yeah. I'll try to update faster now.  
  
I will try to get some sketches up at some point. As soon as I do, I'll let you guys know. Please keep reviewing! I love your reviews, they're so cute (unless you didn't want them to be)!  
  
Don't be afraid to give me some suggestions on plot development, as well. I think you'd be surprised how much of the story has already been formed based on reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't seem too confusing…  
  
~~~~~  
  
Ansem cried out in pain, feeling his connection to Kairi break as he hit the cold floor. Growling angrily, he struggled to his feet and turned to face his attacker. His shadow replica grinned back at him, holding up its spear to examine the dark blood dripping down the tip. Hesitating in mild surprise, Ansem moved forward, his own black spear materializing.   
  
"Not so fast, Ansem. You're not in control around here anymore, and Lord Sephiroth doesn't appreciate you helping out his enemies." The Heartless said sweetly, waggling a finger at him haughtily.   
  
"His enemies? You mean I'm not?" Ansem spat darkly at the Heartless, fighting the urge to leap at it.  
  
It laughed, an empty sound echoing around the Dark Depths. "No, you can still join us, it's not too late."  
  
Its words caught Ansem by surprise. If they thought he was 'worthy' of joining them, then he must have something that they wanted. Obviously, he wasn't as useless as he had thought he was.  
  
Forcing his body to relax, he stared across at the Heartless. "And just what would I gain from helping Sephiroth?" Other than the Masamune through my back, he added silently, watching the replica distastefully.  
  
It almost laughed, grin widening as it stared back at him. "Once the worlds have been consumed by darkness, you will be second only to Lord Sephiroth. Control over the Heartless will be returned to you, and you will have the pleasure of destroying the Keyblade Master and the lesser keyblades yourself." it said rather smugly.   
  
Ansem could have laughed. "Well you can tell your master to go screw himself. I know better than to trust him. I will not reduce myself to doing his dirty work. Especially not when it involves the keyblades. You think I don't know what will happen if he goes through with this ridiculous war?" Ansem scoffed, shifting sideways as a small soldier Heartless scurried past his boots.  
  
Slowly, the haughty grin faded from the replica's features, leaving a dark scowl behind. "Very well, Lord Sephiroth will have no trouble carrying out his plan without you." It turned to leave when Ansem stopped it.  
  
"Where is Sephiroth? What are you planning to accomplish by destroying the keyblades?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.   
  
The Heartless slowly turned back to face him, "My Master regrets being unable to speak with you in person, but he is currently preoccupied on.. The Destiny Islands, I believe they are called?" It grinned evilly.  
  
Ansem's eyes widened in horror, and with a shout, he lunged almost desperately past the Heartless, heading for the portal back to Hollow Bastion.  
  
The replica's boot caught him swiftly in the ribs, sending him to his knees as he gasped. He quickly pulled himself back up, attempting to dodge past the Heartless as it blocked his path.   
  
"What are you so worried about? Are you that anxious to get rid of the keyblades yourself? Still holding a grudge after all this time?" It laughed, blocking the spear he swung at it as it watched him with curiosity.   
  
"Get the fuck out of my way before I make you move!" He growled, grabbing the replica's spear as it was thrust at his face and twisting it out of its grasp. The spear immediately vanished, reappearing a moment later back in the replica's hand.  
  
"Temper, temper. What's the rush? Want to get a piece of that Kairi girl before Lord Sephiroth is done with her?" It laughed, abruptly cut off as Ansem's fist slammed into the side of its face.  
  
It stumbled backward, rolling to the side and shaking its head in an attempt to regain its composure. Yelping slightly in surprise, it brought up its spear, blocking the blow aimed for its forehead. Its foot shot out in reflex, slamming heavily into Ansem's stomach.   
  
Coughing, he moved quickly toward the door, remembering the task at hand. The Heartless dodged in front of him, blocking his path as he skidded to a stop.  
  
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go through me if you want to get out of here. Not that you would even get there in time if you ever did." It grinned evilly, taking up a battles stance and brandishing its spear dangerously.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hurry up! Come on! Don't worry, my parents aren't even home." Selphie laughed happily, pushing Tidus through her front door and waving to Riku and Kairi.   
  
Riku quickly followed Selphie upstairs as she led him into her bedroom. He set the girl gently down on the bed and the brunette quickly ushered him back out. "Go play blitzball with Tidus or something." She said, tugging Kairi forcefully into the room and clicking on the light.   
  
He gave her a strange look, "Blitzball? In the middle of the night?" he exchanged glances with Tidus.   
  
Kairi growled, "Just, go watch TV then." Closing the door behind them and turning back to the unconscious heap on the bed.  
  
Leaning over the dark-haired girl, she sighed. "How does she look to you?" Selphie shrugged, feeling the girl's forehead.  
  
"She has a fever.. I'll get some water." She disappeared out the door. Kairi swiftly unzipped Riku's cloak and discarded it on the floor, pulling the blankets up around her instead and brushing the long black hair out of her face.  
  
Selphie slipped quietly back into the room, holding a glass of water and a wet towel. Placing the towel on the girl's head, she gently gripped her jaw. Selphie gently held the girl's mouth open as Kairi dripped some water down her lips. She stirred slowly, chest heaving as she coughed. Groaning in pain, she rolled over and held the pillow next to her tightly.  
  
Kairi rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gazing worriedly up at Selphie. "I'm going to run home and get her some proper clothes." She said, turning after the brunette nodded her understanding.  
  
Closing the door softly behind her, she made her way down the stairs. "Riku, come with me." She said absently, not bothering to look at the silver-haired boy as he pulled himself off of the couch.  
  
Tidus stopped them as they opened the front door. "Hey, be careful. I have a bad feeling about this.." Riku nodded, Metal Chocobo appearing in his hand as he closed the door.  
  
~*~  
  
"So, where are we going?" Riku asked, watching as Kairi stared worriedly ahead.  
  
She glanced over at him, almost appearing to be surprised he was there. "Oh, uh, to my house. That girl, she needs some clothes.." She trailed off, thoughts drifting back to the girl. She was simply the human form of the replica that had followed her around in Hollow Bastion. It felt so odd to Kairi to look at her and see her human face instead of the blank shadow…  
  
"Hey, is that girl alright? Who is she?" Riku's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. He looked down at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity.   
  
"I-I don't know her name, but I suppose in a way I do know her.. She should be fine, just tired, maybe a little overworked from being restored.. She has a fever, but it doesn't seem too serious." Kairi stared ahead as her house came into view.   
  
Silently, she pushed open the front door, surprised to find that her parents weren't awake after the horrendous racket she had made earlier. Walking up the stairs, she entered her slightly thrashed room. Riku stepped in behind her, patting her on the back reassuringly.   
  
"I think it's about time you cleaned your room, Kairi. I mean, Sora's place is cleaner than this.." He gave her a serious look before she shoved him playfully.  
  
Leaning down, she picked her backpack up from the floor. Hastily throwing open her dresser, she began shoving whatever article of clothing she thought they could use in the bag. Picking up a pair of black boots, she shrugged, quickly stuffing them in the bag, too. When she finished, she turned back to Riku. He was standing beside her bed, holding a thick book in his hands.  
  
"Ansem gave you this?" He asked quietly, holding the book up so she could read the title on the page he was reading. Romeo and Juliet. He lowered the book and began examining the picture that had been shoved between the pages.  
  
Kairi choked back a gasp and blushed, snatching the rather worn book away from him. "So? What if he did?" She shoved the book unceremoniously into the bag and turned to face the door.  
  
Riku came up behind her, gripping her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just rather surprised." he whispered.  
  
She turned slowly to face him, "Surprised? Why?" She asked quietly, clutching the bag nervously.  
  
Riku seemed slightly unsure. "Well, when he had control of me, sometimes when he wasn't doing anything else, he would pull out that book and just read it. He read the whole thing, but I think Romeo and Juliet was his favorite. He drew that picture when he thought I was asleep.. I get the feeling he's been through more than he lets on.." He paused, watching Kairi glance down and gently hug the bag.   
  
"I'm not sure if you realize how much it really means to him…" He said, looking down at her calmly. He smiled before walking past her out the door. "Come on, we should get back as soon as we can." He said, walking down the stairs.   
  
Kairi loosened her grip on the bag, looking down at it almost guiltily. Hugging it again, she dashed down the stairs after Riku.  
  
~*~  
  
"Kairi! Hurry, I think Selphie could really use some help!" Tidus whimpered, nursing the side of his face as Riku and Kairi walked through the door.  
  
"What happened to you?" Riku snorted, poking the side of Tidus' face as he scowled up at the older boy.  
  
"That-! that-!!" He growled in anger, stomping his foot angrily, "That horrible girl!! Don't go in there, Riku!" He turned and stomped back into the kitchen, retrieving some ice for his bruised cheek.  
  
Kairi dashed up the stairs, throwing open the door in time for Selphie to shove her way out. "Enough! I give up!! You deal with her!" She howled, yanking on her hair as she thundered down the stairs.  
  
Kairi and Riku exchanged worried looks as they cautiously entered the room.   
  
The black-haired girl seemed to be perfectly fine, a blanket wrapped securely around her body as she stomped around the room. Though she didn't appear to be particularly happy.   
  
"Where the fuck am I!? What happened?!" She stomped her foot furiously, turning angrily back to the door to face Kairi and Riku.   
  
"Will someone just tell me where the hell I-" Her sentence was cut short as she made eye contact with Riku.  
  
He couldn't stop the light gasp that escaped his lips, her green eyes were just as piercing as his. Blushing lightly, the girl quickly turned her gaze to Kairi.  
  
Kairi cleared her throat, "Riku, perhaps you should wait outside.." She said, smiling reassuringly at him as she shoved him out the door.   
  
"Uh, okay.. I guess." he scratched the back of his head as the door was slammed in his face.  
  
Kairi turned quickly back to the girl, tossing the bag onto the bed and walking slowly toward her.   
  
The girl watched her rather absently, a look of concentration crossing her face as she stared at her. "Do I know you?" She asked softly, voice wavering as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself.  
  
"It's a long story.. What's your name?" Kairi replied, leading the girl back to the bed and emptying her backpack on it.  
  
The girl sniffed lightly, wiping away a stray tear as she gazed at Kairi. "Arashi…" She whispered.  
  
Kairi smiled, "I'm Kairi. Here, I get the feeling this was yours to begin with." She motioned down at the clothing strewn across the bed.   
  
Arashi quickly began sorting through it, pulling out various articles before turning back to Kairi. "Thanks.." She muttered, tears slipping down her cheeks as she dressed herself.   
  
She sniffed softly, sitting down on the bed as she struggled to pull some thigh-high red and white striped socks on. Finally pulling on the boots, she brushed a hand across her face. Slowly adjusting her black shorts, she turned to face Kairi.  
  
"Where am I?" She asked softly, picking up Riku's cloak and examining it. Finally deciding she liked it, she pulled it on, hiding her tear-stained face with the hood.  
  
Kairi sighed, "You're on Destiny Islands. It's a long way from Hollow Bastion, which is where you lived, right?" Arashi nodded, playing with the zipper on Riku's cloak as she watched her.  
  
"Alright, this must all be really confusing for you, so I suppose I'll just start at the beginning…"  
  
~*~  
  
Half an hour later, after many questions and confusing answers, Kairi finally led Arashi down the stairs. Walking slowly into the living room, Selphie, Tidus, and Riku all looked up from their places on the couch.  
  
They all stood warily to their feet, Selphie yawning slightly as she glanced at the clock. Stepping forward, she held out her hand. "You look like you feel better! My name is Selphie." She smiled warmly, elbowing Tidus in the ribs as he muttered something dark about women.  
  
Arashi cautiously took Selphie's hand, shaking it gently as she smiled. "Sorry about earlier, I'm Arashi."   
  
She glanced at Tidus, watching him step backward as she noticed the red mark on his cheek. "I'm sorry I slapped you. I won't do it again, I promise." Her voice wavered slightly, running a hand quickly over her face to hide the forming tears.   
  
"Oh, that's just Tidus. Don't worry about him, it wasn't the first time he'd been slapped. Today." Selphie scowled at him as he slid cautiously behind Riku to avoid her.   
  
"Hey, I'm Riku." Riku smiled down at the black-haired girl, holding out his hand. She gently took it, the breath almost catching in her throat. He squeezed briefly before releasing her hand, still smiling as he looked back up toward Kairi.  
  
"Well, we really should get going. Thank you, Selphie. We'll see you tomorrow." Kairi hugged the brunette before taking Arashi's hand and leading her toward the door. Riku moved quickly forward and opened the door, waving as he slipped outside.  
  
"Bye, Kairi, Arashi, guy with social problems!" She waved enthusiastically, sticking out her tongue at Riku.   
  
Kairi laughed, closing the door as she pushed Arashi out into the cool night air. The two girls caught up with Riku, slowing their pace and gazing around at the still night.   
  
"Are you going home, Riku?" Kairi asked, watching him casually kick rocks down the sidewalk.   
  
He laughed, "No way. Sora and Cloud would kill me if they ever found out I left you two alone after that little incident."  
  
Arashi looked up, stopping in her tracks and giving Riku a startled look. "Cloud? He's here? Where is he?" She shifted her glance anxiously between Riku and Kairi.   
  
"Uh, he's probably hanging out somewhere on the beach. He doesn't really have a home, so he just lives wherever nowadays." Riku said, looking down the street.   
  
"Please, I have to see him!!" Arashi practically howled, jumping excitedly in place.   
  
Riku couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Sure, come on. Last I heard, he's been staying with Squall lately." he led them quickly down a side street, helping Arashi over a fence as they crossed someone's backyard.   
  
"Squall.." Arashi smiled, nearly latching on to Riku's arm as she followed him across the lawn.  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm serious, Yuffie, something doesn't feel right…" Aerith said, watching the small ninja as she dug excitedly through the cabinets.  
  
"Oh, you're just paranoid! Everything's fine. Did you see where Squall hid the syrup?" She backed up and gazed around the kitchen.  
  
"No, I mean- syrup? What are you doing?" The older woman stepped forward, contemplating whether or not to alert Squall.   
  
"This'll be awesome, I swear! I saw it in a movie once!" Yuffie laughed, hoisting herself onto the countertop and digging through the open cabinets. "For God's sake, he's a guy! He has to own syrup! It's like a law!" She hopped down and opened the refrigerator.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked coldly, leaning casually in the doorway.  
  
Yuffie jumped, spinning around and slamming the refrigerator shut as she smiled at him. "Nothing, just, looking for a snack." She chirped, sliding innocently past him and bouncing into the living room.   
  
Squall looked questioningly at Aerith. "I have no idea, she was looking for syrup." She shrugged and followed him through the doorway.   
  
Squall sighed, collapsing tiredly on the couch and watching the small battle taking place at the TV.   
  
"You're cheating! We agreed on no smash attacks!!" Sora howled angrily, glaring at the boy sitting beside him on the floor.  
  
"What?! And you're not using any, ya?!" Wakka replied, shoving Sora's shoulder and finishing off his character.  
  
"You crack-whore!!" Sora yelled, tackling the older boy and flinging the controllers aside. The two boys rolled across the carpet, knocking over one of Yuffie's cans of soda in the process.   
  
"Hey! Knock it off!" Cid yelled, throwing a magazine at them as Yuffie enthusiastically joined the wrestling match.   
  
"Yuffie! Stop encouraging them!" Aerith called from the couch, digging her fingers into Cloud's cloak as she watched the trio slam against the coffee table.  
  
They were interrupted when a loud knock sounded at the door.   
  
"Huh? We aren't the only nocturnal people on this island?" Sora asked no one in particular, releasing Wakka from his head-lock and scrambling toward the door.   
  
"Hey, Riku! What's up?" Sora chirped happily, throwing the door wide open. "Oh, hey Kairi.. Who are you?" he added, watching as the black-haired girl shoved past Kairi and frantically gazed into the room.   
  
Joyful tears filled her eyes as she stared around the room. Cid, Squall, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud all leapt to their feet at once, staring back at the girl in disbelief.   
  
"Oh my God, Arashi?!" Yuffie cried, snapping everyone out of the shocked daze.   
  
Letting out a choked laughed, Arashi launched herself into the room, meeting the outstretched arms of her friends.   
  
"Yuffie! I didn't know you were here, too! Cid!! God, it's so good to see you guys! I thought the world had ended when I woke up!!" She laughed happily, everyone talking excitedly around her.  
  
"Cloud!" She cried, noticing him standing next to Squall. Bouncing over with Yuffie, she quickly pulled him into a hug. Gazing anxiously around at everyone, she coughed lightly. "Umm, can I talk to you?" She asked quietly.   
  
He nodded, gently taking her hand and leading her down the hall. He opened Squall's bedroom door and led her inside, the door clicking shut behind them.   
  
"What was that all about?" Sora asked huffily, staring down the hall after the two.   
  
"I dunno, I feel like I missed somethin'." Wakka said, reaching down and retrieving his blitzball from behind the door.  
  
Aerith sighed happily. "It's a long story, I'm so glad she's alright! Where did you find her?" She asked, walking calmly over to Kairi and smiling.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~ 


	22. Reprehension

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts I most likely wouldn't be writing fan fiction as a hobby.  
  
Sorry it's taken so long to update this month, something else came up so I was a little busy. This is the third time I've rewritten this chapter. I had it almost done twice, then I decided that I hated where the story was leading, so here's the better version. I really hope you guys like this chapter, it was a pain to write! Should update a little faster after this, hopefully, if I don't get too much homework.  
  
And actually, Dottie, you read my mind. My dirty little mind that seems to become more corrupted with each visit to school. Considering the rating is already R, and the fact that there just aren't enough Ansem-anyone fics, I decided to include a little something here pretty soon. It probably won't be very good, and it will take me a little while to write (what doesn't?), but I will try my best!  
  
So, I'm not about to beg you to review, but it would be nice to know what to improve. You can flame if you want to, I don't mind. It's not my place to judge your opinions or how you choose to express them.  
  
Artwork coming soon, just waiting for the story to catch up to the art I've got.   
  
~~~~~  
  
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as everyone waited for someone to do something. Holding back a yawn, Aerith finally moved back toward the couch.  
  
"It's getting really late, maybe it's time for everyone to get some sleep." She said softly, curling up on the couch and gazing almost worriedly down the hall.  
  
Yuffie groaned. "But Aerith, it's not late, just early! We'd just be waking up in a few hours anyway.." She muttered, burying her face in Squall's shoulder to hide her yawn.  
  
Sora moved closer to Kairi and glanced around the room. Confident that no one was paying attention to them, he leaned closer to Kairi and lowered his voice. "Can we talk? Outside?" He asked quietly.  
  
He had whispered it, but Riku was still close enough to overhear. He knew what Sora wanted to talk to her about, and he had to bite his lip to keep from spinning around and dragging the younger boy out the door himself. This was something she needed to tell him herself.  
  
~*~  
  
Arashi hastily wiped away her tears, ashamed that Cloud was seeing her like this. Turning back to face him, she took a deep breath. "So, they're all gone.. You guys are the only ones who got away?"   
  
Cloud nodded sadly, wishing she had picked Cid to talk to instead. He knew the question she was going to ask next, so he saved her the pain of forming the words. "I'm sorry, Ame never came back after she went looking for you. The attack happened so fast, we really had no way to try to help anyone, we didn't even have a way to defend ourselves. All we could do was get away." He watched as her shoulders shook, stepping forward and hugging her as fresh tears ran down her cheeks.  
  
She hugged him back instinctively, noting how different it felt now. He had obviously been doing a lot of fighting, he seemed a bit more muscular and traumatized than she had remembered him. Sighing sadly, she rested her forehead against his chest. So she really had been a.. What was it? Heartless? Yes, she had been a Heartless for all those years.  
  
"I-..I'm just glad you're alright, anichan.. I don't know what I would have done if they had gotten you.." She whimpered.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora and Kairi walked side by side down the street. Though it was well past midnight, a vague warmth could be felt around the island. It would linger until just before the sun came up, another indicator that it was mid summer. Moving slowly down the sidewalk, they turned and entered the city park. The warmth vanished almost immediately under the cool shelter of the trees. The sidewalk ended and gave way to the familiar pale sand of the beach.  
  
Sora's pace slowed and he finally stopped, staring absently at the sand. Kairi stopped a few steps ahead of him, turning and looking questioningly at the brunette.  
  
He sighed, finally looking back up into her eyes. "..Who?" He asked, keeping their gazes locked.  
  
She nearly jumped. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly, praying it wasn't what she was thinking of.  
  
He looked away, a hint of anger and hurt on his face. "When I kissed you, you said that you couldn't because you were in love with someone else. Who?" he lowered his voice.  
  
Kairi was mortified, of course it was the one thing she had been hoping he hadn't meant, mainly because she had no idea what to tell him. She hated lying to her friends, but she couldn't possibly tell him about Ansem. All she could do was stare at him sadly, mouth slightly open as she struggled to find the right words.   
  
When she couldn't figure out quite what to say, Sora looked back up at her. "Is it Riku?" he asked softly.  
  
She slowly closed her mouth, watching him helplessly. Perhaps it was best if he thought it was Riku, for now. She turned away, trying to hide the blush on her face.  
  
Sora watched her for a moment, finally turning his back on her and leaning against a nearby tree. "Fine, it's fine. You don't have to explain anything to me." he said, the anger in his voice stinging her as she watched him.  
  
He shoved himself away from the tree, moving quickly back toward the street. "I'm sorry if I wasted your time." He muttered, not bothering to look at her as he made his way under the shadows of the trees.  
  
"Sora-!" Kairi stepped forward, not wanting to see him like this but unsure of what she could say. "I'm sorry.." She whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks by the time he had turned to look at her.  
  
An uncomfortable silence fell over the two. Time seemed to stop as Kairi held her breath, staring intently into the brunette's gaze. A brief breeze passed through the branches of the tropical trees, slowly dying down and leaving the night air motionless. After a moment, Sora's gaze softened, eyes reflecting a deep sense of sadness as he turned away again.  
  
"Kairi, I just want you to be happy. I know it sounds stupid, but it's true." He continued forward, moving quickly back toward the street.   
  
Before Kairi could react, Sora had disappeared back into the shadows of the trees. Kairi bit her lip in an attempt to hold back her tears. She hadn't meant to hurt him, and she wasn't sure who was in more pain. Crouching down, she hugged herself sadly. Sora had been through so much lately. She shuddered slightly as a soft breeze blew through the sand under the trees. For a brief moment, she wished she had never met Ansem. Maybe then everything would have been alright. She would never have known that she wasn't really in love with Sora and they both could have been perfectly happy in their ignorance.   
  
Standing shakily to her feet, she glanced around at the trees. She wiped a hand across her face before rushing forward. Sora couldn't be that far ahead, she could still tell him about Ansem, he deserved that much at least.  
  
Kairi skidded to a halt, gazing nervously up at the branches of the trees as the wind howled through them. She shivered and spun around, gasping as a sudden burst of wind nearly knocked her off her feet. Regaining her balance, she stared up into the sky.  
  
Eyes widening in fear, she stumbled forward, keeping her gaze locked on the swirling clouds above the island.   
  
"Sora! Sora!!" She shouted as she rushed after him. She yelped in surprise as she slammed into his chest, shaking her head before staring up at him.  
  
"Sora! The Heartless! Just like before, we have to-" Before she could finish he had clamped his hand firmly against her mouth.  
  
"I know.. Go back to Squall's house and stay with them. Tell Riku to meet me at the secret place!" He shoved her roughly toward the sidewalk, vanishing into the shadows as he made his way toward the docks.  
  
"Sora, wait! You don't understand!" She huffed, hesitating as she tried to think of what to do. Finally turning around, she dashed down the beach after him.  
  
~*~  
  
Riku groaned, struggling to stay awake as he listened to Yuffie and Wakka battling with their video game. He leaned forward, resting his cheek against the arm of the couch as he stared tiredly at Aerith. She hadn't moved since Sora and Kairi left. Groaning again, he rolled over and curled up with a pillow. He had nearly fallen asleep when Yuffie leaned over him and poked him rather roughly in the side.  
  
"Get your icky shoes off the couch, Riku!" She shook a finger at him as he stared tiredly up at her. He couldn't tell if she was serious or not, so he simply stuck out his tongue and hugged the pillow tighter.  
  
"At least their off the carpet.." He said honestly, flinging the pillow at her head as she poked him in the ribs.  
  
They were interrupted several moments later when Squall's bedroom door slowly opened. Cloud walked out into the hallway, pulling Arashi behind him. Her face was tear-stained and she looked a bit depressed. Leading her gently into the living room, he gazed around at his friends.   
  
"Riku, can you take her somewhere, please? She just needs some rest and maybe some time to think.." He said softly, watching as the silver-haired boy struggled to pull himself up from the couch.  
  
"Alright, I understand. I'll take her to Kairi's place. Night." he rested a hand on her shoulder as she walked past him. He cast a worried glance at Cloud before waving and following her out the door.  
  
~*~  
  
Walking along in silence, Riku couldn't help but stare at the girl. She seemed so sad, he wondered what she was thinking about. The others had seemed pretty surprised that she was alive, apparently she had grown up in Hollow Bastion with them. Before he could stop himself, he had reached out and rested a hand heavily on her shoulder.  
  
"What's the matter?" He asked gently, watching a few stray tears slip down her cheeks.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it.." She whispered, staring straight ahead as they continued down the street.  
  
Riku fought back a grin, "I'm willing to bet that's not true. So what's the matter?" he said almost sarcastically, watching calmly as she spun to glare at him.  
  
Unable to contain her anger, she reached out, bringing her hand up to slap him. Before she managed to hit him, he caught her wrist neatly. She ignored it as she continued to glare at him. "What's the matter? You wanna know what's wrong? I was betrayed by one of the only people I thought I could trust! I lost everything! All my friends, all my family, even my home!! All because of the Heartless! They used me, and I lost everything because of them!! Are you happy now?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! You sit on this happy little island all day, I'll bet you don't know anything about real pain!!" She forced herself to stare at him, tears blurring her vision as they streamed down her face.   
  
They stood there for a moment, Arashi's choked sobs the only sound echoing down the empty street. Finally, Arashi collapsed on all fours, shoulders shaking. Slowly, Riku knelt down, lifting her face with his hand as he watched her.   
  
"Real pain? You should never assume anything about a person, until you really know them." he released her chin, shifting to rest on his knees as he gracefully pulled his shirt off.   
  
Arashi gasped, unable to look away from the Heartless emblem branded onto Riku's pale chest.   
  
"You aren't the only person that the Heartless used. Ansem took control of my body, and used me to wage war on the only people I've ever cared for. I almost lost everything, but with Sora's help, we got it back. You shouldn't give up so easily, if you're here now, then there's a way to restore the others, too…" He trailed off, voice wavering at the memories of his time in Hollow Bastion.   
  
Arashi watched him for a moment, not entirely sure if he was serious. He looked away as his vision blurred. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he turned to look back at her.  
  
"At least you can't remember what the Heartless made you do…" He whispered, pulling his shirt back on and standing up. Turning quickly, he stared down the street as he wiped a hand across his face.  
  
Arashi carefully pulled herself to her feet, watching him rather shamefully. After several minutes of awkward silence, it finally occurred to her that something was wrong. Moving quietly toward him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and followed his gaze down the street.  
  
"What is it..?" She asked softly, noticing as he shifted to stare to the sky above them. It was then that she realized that dark clouds were swirling over the island, shrieking as a sudden roll of thunder cut through the night.  
  
"The Heartless-" Riku darted forward, pulling Arashi by the arm as he dashed down the street. Rain began pounding the ground around them as a violent wind picked up.   
  
"Where are we going?" She shouted over the roar of thunder, wiping the rain out of her eyes as she tried to keep up.  
  
"The door, we have to get to the door! If we can lock it again, the Heartless won't be able to take the islands!" He shouted back to her.  
  
Arashi shouted in surprise as a large tree branch slammed into the ground directly in front of them. She tripped, landing heavily on the pavement as her arm slipped from Riku's grasp. She cried out in pain, shifting to glance down at the blood trickling down her ankle.  
  
Riku slid to a stop, leaning down and easily lifting her from the ground. Cradling her gently in his arms, he turned and began down the street again, heading for the beach.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey, Squall, looks like a nasty storm outside. Think Riku and Arashi made it to Kairi's alright?" Yuffie leaned back on the couch, watching the brunette curiously as he glared at her.  
  
"Yuffie, can you at least try to get some sleep?" He asked tiredly, throwing a pillow at her. She dodged it easily, leaping on Cloud for protection.   
  
"Cloud! He's trying to hit me!" She whined innocently, hugging him. He only sighed wearily, glancing hopefully at Aerith. Unfortunately for him, she was fast asleep.  
  
Yuffie was about to say more when the power flickered out. Cursing could be heard from the garage, and moments later the door was thrown open as Cid stomped back into the house. "Squall, you got a generator? I'm right in the middle of something!" he yelled, waving a flashlight at him. Squall just shook his head and walked down the hall to his room.  
  
"What's his problem?" Cid asked, scowling down at Yuffie. "What did you do to him?" he pointed the flashlight at her before walking over to the TV.   
  
Yuffie huffed. "I didn't do anything to him, he's just tired!" She tried to look offended, but couldn't help but laugh as he began shaking Wakka with his foot and yelling at him to wake up.  
  
"Hey, kid, do you ever go home?" He asked impatiently, tossing the flashlight at him as he turned back to Yuffie.  
  
"Huh? Ow…" Wakka sat up tiredly, rubbing his head where the flashlight had hit him. He groaned, leaning down and picking it up before glancing up at the older man. "What happened?" he asked, noticing that all the lights were out.  
  
"Power's out, get up and help me with the Gummi ship." He said, walking into the kitchen for another flashlight. "You too, Yuffie, try not to break anything." Walking back into the living room, he glanced at the window as the room was lit up by a flash of lightning.  
  
"What the fuck.." he crossed the room quickly and stared out the window at the raging storm.  
  
"It's storming outside!" Yuffie chirped helpfully, bouncing over to stand next to him. "Couldn't you hear the thunder out in the garage?" She looked at him quizzically.  
  
Cid had to resist the urge to throw his new flashlight at her, unable to tear his gaze from the dark clouds swirling over the island. "I was working on the Gummi ship, can't hear anything in there." He turned suddenly to face the hallway.  
  
"Shit, where'd Squall go?" he made his way back across the dark living room, nearly tripping on Wakka.  
  
"It's just a storm, what the matter?" Yuffie watched as he stomped down the hall. He stopped and turned around, pulling Wakka up from the floor and yelling at him to wake up again.  
  
"It's not just a storm, Yuffie! The sky was clear less than fifteen minutes ago! Something's happening.." He released the boy once he was sure he could stand up, continuing down the hallway to Squall's room.  
  
Yuffie winced as she watched him slam the door open, he leaned inside and started saying something. Moving back to the couch, she sat down next to Cloud. She stared at him for several moments as footsteps could be heard in the kitchen. He had nearly fallen asleep when Squall darted back into the living room. He stared out the window for several moments before cursing under his breath and moving back toward Yuffie.   
  
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet, ignoring her complaints. He lead her to the front door and yanked it open.   
  
"I'm not going out there! It's storming!!" She fought to get out of his grasp, twisting awkwardly in the doorway.  
  
He sighed, slamming the door and pulling her back down the hallway. Reaching into the closet, he pulled out a heavy black coat. She gave him a look of disbelief before putting the coat on and sighing in defeat. She stuck her tongue out at Wakka as she was lead back to the front door. Squall hurriedly pulled the door open again, holding Yuffie by the shoulders as they stood in the doorway.  
  
"I want you to go to Kairi's house and stay there. Riku and Arashi should be there, too. Make sure you all stay together, we'll be by later to pick you up." He stared at her awkwardly for a moment, apparently torn at letting her go alone. Hugging her quickly, he kissed her forehead and pulled the hood up. She looked even skinnier since the coat was so big on her, and the hood nearly covered her eyes. She blushed lightly as she stared back up at him.   
  
Smiling faintly, he shoved her out the door. "Go, and be careful, alright? Be really careful." He watched as she pulled the coat tighter around herself and began down the walkway to the street. She stopped at the sidewalk and cast a rather confused glance back at Squall before breaking into a jog.  
  
Turning back to the others, he shut the door. "Alright, let's go." He motioned for them to follow, moving quickly back toward the garage. Cloud stood up, casting a glance back at Aerith's sleeping form.   
  
"What about-" he began, cut off as Squall looked over his shoulder at him. "Bring her." he shoved the garage door open and followed Wakka inside.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sora, we really should have told the others what's going on!" Kairi shouted over the pounding of the rain. She winced as another roar of thunder rolled across the beach.   
  
"There's no time, we have to lock the door!" He replied, nearly losing his balance as his feet touched the wet sand. He never had been particularly good at landings.   
  
Releasing Kairi, he pulled out his keyblade. "Alright, we'll have to do this somewhat quickly." he glanced around at the beach, looking for the Heartless he knew should appear.   
  
Kairi shook her head, tugging wearily at her soaked hair. "I never did like flying…" She glanced up, yelping in surprise as a Heartless was sliced in half right in front of her.  
  
"You could have said something!" She stomped huffily, pulling out her own keyblade and glancing around the island.   
  
"We need to get to the secret place, fighting these Heartless won't help." He lunged forward, slicing through several that inched too close. "Come on!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her forward as they dashed across the beach.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~  
  
A/N: I know it was really short, but I promise I'll have another chapter up this week!! It's either really later or really early now, so I have to cut it short. I just wanted to post a new chapter before you guys decided I had died… 


	23. Inclination

Disclaimer: *sigh* We've been over this. KH belongs to Square-Enix and Disney, you know the drill.   
  
  
  
Okay, I'm really gonna hurry up on this story, I'm dying to start writing a sequel, even if nobody is really reading this anymore. Sorry if Sephiroth is completely out of character, I never really got very far in FFVII.  
  
And Riku really isn't trying to be weird, that's just the kind of thing I'm always thinking about. Especially at the wrong time, too. I don't really like how this chapter turned out, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work right. Oh well, better than nothing. Hey, only a day late! I'm getting better! It's moving so insanely slow, I'll try to speed things up a bit now.  
  
Does anyone have any requests for artwork for this story? I really don't have any ideas right now… You don't have to review, you could just email or instant message me, or something to that effect.  
  
  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi yelped, stumbling past Sora into the small cave opening. She crouched just inside the cave, listening to the sound of Sora fighting with the Heartless just feet away. A high pitched screech could be heard, and moments later Sora scrambled into the secret place and quickly pulled Kairi down the tunnel.  
  
She slammed into him as he skidded to a halt, staring straight ahead at the open doors set into the stone wall. Nothing but darkness could be seen within them, long shadows reaching from its depths and winding slowly around the cave.   
  
"Sora.. The door.." Kairi whispered, unsure of what to say. She glanced around his shoulder to try to see the look on his face, a bit nervous at finding his expression blank.   
  
She tugged urgently on his sleeve, "Sora, hurry, can't you close it?" She glanced back toward the door. Something could be seen moving around inside it, leaving Kairi with a deep sense of dread.  
  
"Sora.. Sora. Sora!" She shook him rather violently, trying to snap him out of his daze. Slamming him against the wall, his eyes finally snapped away from the door and he stared at her in surprise.   
  
"Kairi, the darkness, it's different somehow. Can't you feel it? It's so cold…" He murmured, eyes wandering back toward the open doors as he slid unceremoniously to the floor.  
  
Kairi turned back to look at them, too. A shiver ran down her spine and she turned back to Sora. "We have to close it and lock it! Now snap out of it and help me!"   
  
The hair on the back of her neck began to stand up, and very slowly, she turned to look into the door. Something was definitely moving inside, and it was coming through the doorway! She gasped in fear, scrambling behind Sora and watching as several vaguely familiar Heartless emerged.   
  
They slowly began to glide forward, large shadowed swords trailing behind them and tails flicking dangerously from side to side. Grinning wickedly, the nearest one raised his weapon as he neared the two teenagers.  
  
"Sora, do something! I can't fight these things on my own!" Kairi whimpered, shaking his shoulders roughly as she stared into his face.   
  
Shuffling back from him, she pulled out her own keyblade, taking brief comfort in its slight glow before the feeling of dread returned. She stumbled to her feet, bracing herself against the back wall of the cave and gripping Oathkeeper in both hands.  
  
The Heartless stopped halfway between the door and where Kairi stood against the wall. One glided forward, sword still raised above its head as it advanced on Kairi. Stepping forward, she swallowed back her fear and stood protectively over her comatose friend.  
  
The Heartless suddenly lunged forward, grinning psychotically as it swung its sword at her neck. She shrieked and automatically brought up her keyblade, barely blocking the attack. She was thrown backward from the blow, arms aching already from the impact on her keyblade. Glancing down, she bit back her growl of pain, hoping she hadn't hurt Sora when she tripped over him.  
  
She brought Oathkeeper back up and winced in pain. She tried to struggle to her feet, but found she could barely move. Sighing in pain, she sank back down to the floor and glanced at Sora. Turning slowly to look back up at the Heartless, she noticed it hadn't made another move yet, it seemed to be watching her.   
  
Her eyes carefully slid back to the open door, almost amused by the waves of darkness coming from it. She felt so drained, she didn't care about anything anymore. What was so bad about the Heartless anyway? She glanced back up at the dark figure leaning down to her. She knew what it was doing, reaching its hand down to her chest. It was going to take her heart, turn her into a Heartless, like all its other victims.  
  
Wait, but then it would have her keyblade too, and once she was a Heartless, it would take Sora's heart.. Doesn't sound right at all, Oathkeeper is mine.. Sora's one of my best friends, too.. She thought, finding herself completely unable to move as she struggled to sit up.   
  
Its hand hovered dangerously over her chest, its grin widening as it continued to lean down. Suddenly, a flash of purple exploded overhead, the loud screech of a dying Heartless filling her senses as she struggled to sort out what had just happened.  
  
She managed to catch a glimpse of silver and purple as she felt herself losing consciousness. Another shriek sounded around the cave, then another, now someone was shouting at her.   
  
A rather pale face leaned down over her, something about those aquamarine eyes was disturbingly familiar…  
  
~  
  
"Riku, what's wrong with them?" Arashi asked worriedly, leaning over Sora and trying to get him to open his eyes.   
  
"I don't know, but I get the feeling it has to do with the door." He glanced at the door, looking away quickly when a cold shiver ran down his back and he began feeling slightly nauseous.   
  
Arashi looked worriedly at Kairi, resting a hand gently on the girl's arm. "Can't we close the door?" She asked quietly, doing everything in her power to not look at it.  
  
"No, only Sora can close and lock the door.. Wait, maybe.." He leaned back and began rummaging through his pockets. "Shit! I don't-" He looked around the cave furiously, slamming his fist into the dirt and trying to focus on what to do. "Dammit!" He cursed loudly, staring uselessly at the sand.  
  
"What's wrong?" Arashi asked nervously, jolting up to look at him.   
  
"That damn door, the darkness is screwing with them! I thought I had something to help protect them, but.." He stopped abruptly when he glanced up to look back at her, his eye's dropping down to the cloak she still wore.  
  
He stared at her in slight disbelief, finally snapping out of it and reaching his hand toward her. "Give me back my coat for a sec." He said, trying to hide the relief in his voice.  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Your coat? This is yours?" She laughed, pulling it off and handing it to him. "What are you looking for?" She asked, crawling toward him and watching as he began searching through the pockets.  
  
"This.." He said triumphantly, pulling his hand back out of a pocket and holding up a small drawstring bag.   
  
Emptying the contents onto the floor, he sorted through them, picking out several small rings. He reached forward, grabbing Kairi's hand and slipping two small black rings onto her fingers. Releasing her, he reached over and grasped Sora's hand, giving him one black ring and one snow-white ring. Looking rather pleased, he put the items back in the bag and slipped it back into the cloak pocket, finally handing the cloak back to Arashi.  
  
"What are those?" Arashi asked curiously, playing with one of the new black rings on Kairi's finger.  
  
Riku smiled, leaning over Sora and rummaging through the boy's pockets. "The black ones are dark rings, and the white one is a chaos ring. They'll help protect them from the Heartless." He pulled a potion out of Sora's pocket and scooted forward more. Forcing the younger boy's mouth open, he force-fed the potion to him and ruffled his hair.  
  
"I won them off of Sora last summer when he placed a bet saying I couldn't beat him and Wakka at blitzball." He smirked, leaning over Kairi and placing his keyblade against her chest. A moment later, she was surrounded in a cloud of green sparkles, slowly opening her eyes and staring groggily up at Riku.  
  
"Ugh, that stupid spell is so irritating. I don't see why it couldn't just heal people, why's it so damn bright?" He stood up, glaring at Arashi as she burst into slightly nervous laughter.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kairi groaned, rolling over and staring at Sora in surprise. "You're alright!" She cried happily, noticing that he was already sitting up. He would have shouted in surprise had Kairi not knocked the wind out of him.  
  
"What do you mean, 'irritating'? It's just a spell!" Arashi giggled, poking Riku in the chest.   
  
"You saw it, it's really bright! What if you were trying to hide from someone, and you were with your mortally wounded friend? So then you try to cast curaga on them, but you get caught because the damn thing gave away your location!" He argued, wondering if it was possible to modify the spell.   
  
Arashi shook her head, "I can't believe you…" She muttered, suddenly getting nervous when she realized that Kairi and Sora weren't sitting there anymore.   
  
Spinning on her heel, she found them examining the open door. "Riku, are you done? We could use some help here!" Sora called from the left side of the door.  
  
"Thanks, Riku!" Kairi said happily as she passed him on his way to the door. Walking slowly, she stopped at Arashi's side, both girls watching slightly worriedly as the boys examined the door some more.  
  
"Here, come on.." Sora reached forward, gripping one of the double doors and testing it before throwing his weight against it. Riku did the same on his side, cursing under his breath from the surprising amount of resistance that met them.  
  
The two girls watched, their anxiety growing as the door refused to come even close to closing. Waves of darkness continued to flow out of it, if not stronger now that it was being challenged.  
  
"I don't understand, how did you close it last time?" Arashi asked nervously, shifting from foot to foot in the sand.  
  
Sora huffed, almost glaring at her, "We didn't." He said dully, turning his attention back to the door.  
  
A deep rumbling slowly began shaking the small cave, sending nervous chills down everyone's spines. It stopped after a moment, only to return after several seconds in a more powerful tremor.  
  
"What's happening?" Kairi asked fearfully, grabbing Arashi's arm as loose dust and small rocks began to fall from the ceiling and walls around them.  
  
The sharp sound of clashing metal followed by a rather eerie echo drowned out any reply Sora had been about to make. Kairi looked up in surprise, finding herself now lying rather awkwardly in the sand next to Arashi.   
  
"What..?" She stared up at the two men glaring at each other where she had been standing moments before.  
  
"Sephiroth?!" Sora almost whimpered, immediately recognizing the man closest to him. Upon hearing his name, he turning toward Sora, giving him a less than significant glance before returning his attention to the man in front of him.  
  
It took Kairi a moment to recognize him, but when she did she felt her heart skip a beat. "Ansem! You're alright!" She said happily, struggling to her feet. "What happened to you?" She asked worriedly, stepping forward and examining him.   
  
His clothes were a bit shredded, and he was nearly covered in blood, most of which appeared to be his. When he turned to look at her, she noticed that even his hair was harassed, falling loosely around his shoulders. In her opinion, he looked remarkably like Sephiroth, until he gave her a weak smile.  
  
Becoming worried about his state of health, she moved quickly toward him, surprised to find him push her back.  
  
"Stay back, and take care of.. Arashi." he said a bit hesitantly, quickly shifting his gaze back to Sephiroth.  
  
Kairi was worried, but obeyed him, turning to find Arashi still laying in the sand near her feet. Crying out in surprise, Kairi knelt down and lifted the girl's head. A deep gash ran across her chest, and blood was seeping into the sand around her.  
  
When she saw the blood, panic began to rise up inside her. What was she supposed to do? Arashi needed a hospital! She cradled the girl in her arms as she struggled to figure out what to do.  
  
She gently reached down, pulling back a piece of ripped cloth and looking at the wound. It must have run at least eight inches across her chest, and Kairi wasn't about to check to see how deep it was.  
  
"Arashi. Arashi!! Oh god…" She held a hand over her mouth, jumping when something landed in the sand next to her thigh.   
  
She gasped in surprise, reaching down to pick it up. It was a potion. She knew at this point that it wouldn't heal Arashi completely, but it would hopefully stop the bleeding. She shifted quickly to look up at Ansem, but his back was still turned to her. Swallowing some of her panic, she gave the potion to Arashi and turned back to the two men standing in the middle of the small cave.  
  
She was a bit startled to find that Sephiroth had been watching her with slight interest, now turning his attention back to Ansem.   
  
"I'm impressed, I didn't know you cared about anything other than your damned research." He said, relaxing his posture and gazing almost tiredly around the small cave.   
  
Ansem continued to glare darkly at him. "Shut up.." He growled, pausing to let out a choked cough. "What the hell do you want?" He tightened his grip on his spear, shifting to glance past Sora to the door.  
  
Sephiroth gave him a look of mock disbelief. "What do you mean? I'm finishing what you so conveniently started."  
  
"Don't give me that shit, I know you aren't after this island." Ansem tore his gaze from the dark depths to watch Sephiroth as he moved around the small cave.  
  
Sora shifted his silent stare between the two men, unable to determine what was going on. He didn't know which man he mistrusted more, Ansem or Sephiroth. Though he couldn't help but notice that everyone else was watching Sephiroth. Had he missed something? Wasn't Ansem the one that had tried to turn the world into pure darkness?  
  
Sephiroth moved back toward Ansem, looking somewhat pleased. "You always were rather quick. How did you catch on this time?" He asked, almost smiling at the other man.  
  
Ansem smirked, "The door is open." He pointed his spear toward it, speaking as though everyone knew it.  
  
Sora spun to look at the door, completely confused and getting impatient. "How does that prove he isn't after Destiny Islands?" He cried, glancing over at Riku for support. Riku, however, was paying no attention to him or Ansem, staring blankly past them to Arashi.  
  
"Because if he was after Destiny Islands, then you never would have seen the door open. You would all be dead already, and your islands would be gone." He growled at Sora, not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice. He shifted his eyes back to Sephiroth, "You're holding the darkness back because you aren't done with the islands yet."   
  
Sephiroth watched him with amusement, "You should be proud, you catch on faster than the keyblade master."   
  
"If you're after the keyblade, then you can forget it! I beat you in the Coliseum, you don't stand a chance against me and Riku!" Sora growled, brandishing the keyblade as he backed up his challenge.  
  
Slowly, the older man turned to scowl at the young brunette. "There were rules in the Coliseum, little boy." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out something clenched in his fist.   
  
"And as for the keyblade, I have no need of yours." Slowly opening his hand, he revealed a small key chain. Holding it up, he smiled inwardly at the reaction he received.   
  
Riku cursed under his breath, gripping the dark keyblade tightly. Kairi leapt to her feet, gasping and covering her mouth with her hands. Sora moved forward, pointing the keyblade at Sephiroth threateningly.  
  
"What did you do with King Mickey?!" He shouted, unable to tear his eyes from the small silhouette key chain.  
  
Sephiroth grinned, "He's fine." He turned to gaze back into the door, motioning with his sword. "He's just, 'hanging out'" he said, laughing softly.  
  
Sora stared blankly at him, not wanting to believe what he had just heard. Mickey was trapped in the darkness? He was a Heartless? He had failed to protect him, what would the others say? He slowly looked at Riku, noticing how his body had tensed. He was closer than anyone to King Mickey, they had nearly spent every waking hour together as they trained and waited for Sora.  
  
Tears began streaming down Kairi's face again, and she rushed forward, too upset to care what happened.   
  
"You bastard! What the hell do you want from us?!" She screamed, pulling out Oathkeeper as she ran forward.  
  
She let out a soft yelp as she felt a strong arm catch her around the waist and lift her off the ground. She continued to curse at Sephiroth, struggling angrily against Ansem as he tried to hold her still. He groaned in pain as Oathkeeper slammed into his arm, leaving a small burn. Reaching down, he held her against his chest with one arm while gripping the wrist that held Oathkeeper in his other hand.  
  
This display seemed to catch Sephiroth's full attention. "Why don't you let her go, Ansem? Let's see what she can do. Or are you worried she'll get hurt?" He smirked in triumph.  
  
Sora really tripped, glancing between Ansem and Sephiroth again. He had been just about to yell at the older man not to touch her, but something didn't seem right at all.  
  
Ansem didn't say anything, simply stared at Sephiroth in hatred. At hearing his comment, Kairi went limp, sobbing softly as she stared at the ground.  
  
"Hmm, interesting. Looks as though everyone has a keyblade these days. I would love to stay, but I really do have things to do." Sephiroth said calmly, toying with the key chain as he turned to enter the door.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't want to stay and fight?" Sora taunted, stepping toward the door as Sephiroth reached it.  
  
He turned to look over his shoulder at the boy, grinning knowingly. "I'm not stupid, Sora. Four against one is hardly a fair fight. And even the girl isn't exactly a pushover. Beside, I believe you're already preoccupied." He paused as another tremor shook the small cave. "Hmm, better hurry." He turned and entered the door in one swift motion, disappearing into the shadows.  
  
A deep silence settle over the room as everyone stared at the door. Kairi managed to choke back her sobs, hugging Ansem tightly as he watched the two boys. "Alright, hurry. This world won't hold long with the door open." He managed to pry Kairi off and moved toward the door.  
  
Sora gripped his double door tightly, casting a cold glare at Ansem before nodding to Riku. "We can do it ourselves." He growled, pushing heavily on the door. It moved nearly an inch before grinding to a halt.  
  
"I can't believe you two!" Kairi growled angrily, turning to face Ansem. "We don't have time for this! Please, help them close it!" She pleaded.  
  
"Why the hell would he want to help us?!" Sora cried, groaning under the effort of closing the door. Kairi resisted the urge to slap him and moved over to Riku.  
  
"Go over to that side.." She instructed, bracing herself against the door as Ansem stepped over to join her.  
  
"Wait a minute-!"  
  
"We don't have a minute! Now shut up and pretend he's Cid!!" Riku shouted at Sora over the rumbling of another tremor.  
  
~*~*~*~~~~  
  
A/N: Suggestions at this point would be handy, please review!! 


	24. Author's Note

This is just a note, I'm really sorry if you guys are mad at me! I've been having massive trouble with the plot, but I'll try to get the new chapter up sometime very soon! I can't remember all the people that have yelled at me or reviewed so far, so I'm just going to respond to all the reviews for chapter 23... (skip to the bottom for the good stuff)  
  
Kikyobashergirl: If you know any good stories where Ansem isn't completely obnoxious, let me know! I'll love you forever..   
  
DragonQueen: I do care! I love you! And I'll never give up!! Not even the fires of hell can stop me from finishing this story!!! (but just to be on the safe side, let's all sneak around and hope they don't try…)  
  
Demonslayer: I'm not dead! Just really slow when it comes to plot blockage. I think you guys should know.. I'm a perfectionist.. /sob/  
  
Freaky.. I'm having fun with this..  
  
Kest: Why, thank you.  
  
zan67: Thanks for the suggestion! I actually had the 24th chapter almost finished, but I read through it and realized how repetitive and stupid it was. So I killed it. I'm studying the whole story so far, there are way too many important little bits in there that I skipped! I'm trying to get the plot to work, so any suggestions on anything that has to do with the story so far would be helpful.  
  
Demonslayer: So we meet again! Aww, don't cry.. Ansem will make everything better! Or.. Something..  
  
Chaos: Thank you, that makes me happy.. You know, I find all sorts of good stories on here that I have to abandon simply because the author can't spell 'cat' without an 's'!! Makes me really sad…  
  
Shadow3437: Thanks, perhaps I shall expand this 'good work' that you speak of!  
  
Dottie Hill: Thanks. I'm surprised nobody has threatened my life yet for liking Ansem so much…hmm  
  
Nekkitsune: THAT was helpful. Thank you. Domo arigato, sumimasen, and all that good stuff! I shall take this idea of yours and manipulate it to fit my half mutated plot!!! Look out for more random Sephy.. heehee…

* * *

Thank you for bearing with me so far!! I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Now, one more thing. JUST ONE MORE:  
  
**Chapter one of the sequel to "Christmas on Destiny Islands" has finally been posted!! Whoot! That story has so much in it, I won't be able to help but update! I swear!! Go read it! It has the Turks in it, I love those guys.. I just had to put them in…  
  
The title is Rhapsody of Silence. Can anybody guess why??**

* * *


	25. The Real Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.  
  
I feel so bad that I couldn't update until now!! I'm really sorry and I'll try not to let it get so out of hand again!!   
  
And to Kanika, that was a fun little review! Hmm, I myself don't care either way about incest and such, but I suppose for those of you who find it 'disturbing', we can reassure this matter by using the following theory:  
  
'Kairi moved to Destiny Islands when she was 6 from.. Uh.. Kentucky. She is therefore not the Kairi we all know and either love or hate, but a more distant clone brought in after a tragic training accident with Tidus…  
  
Which actually explains a lot. Making this story even more Alternate Universe.' There ya go!  
  
Okay, I'd better get started on this before I run out of time again. So, thank you, everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it and all the ideas and offers people are giving me!

* * *

"It's not going to work!" Sora shouted over the horrendous sounds emanating from the island around them.   
  
Rocks continued to fall from the ceiling and Kairi yelped as a rather large one slammed into the door next to her. The door was still far from closed, and it refused to budge any further. Long tendrils of shadow were snaking out from the dark depths.  
  
"Ansem, he's right. This isn't going to work. What else can we do?" Kairi whimpered. She stared up at him with eyes full of panic.  
  
For a moment, she thought he hadn't heard her, but just as she was about to repeat herself, he released the door and stepped back.  
  
Riku noticed this, and moved to stand next to Ansem in front of the door. He looked up at the older man, a silent understanding passing between them. Riku shifted his gaze from Ansem to Kairi, and he moved to take Ansem's place at the door.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sora leaned around the thick door to stare at the others in confusion.  
  
"Wait a few seconds after I enter, and use all your strength to close the door." He looked over his shoulder at Kairi before moving toward the darkness.   
  
Kairi stared back at him in disbelief. It took her a few moments for his words to fully sink in, and she ran forward just as he stepped through the door.  
  
Riku grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms back as she fought to get free. All that could be seen of Ansem was a dark shadow moving on the other side of the door.  
  
"Kairi, no! Just calm down, he'll be fine. He can take care of himself!" Riku growled at her, dragging her back to Arashi.  
  
"No he's not! He's going to die in there! I have to help him!" Riku continued to drag her back.  
  
A sudden jolt made the cave shudder violently, almost causing Riku to lose his balance. Kairi took advantage of this by swinging her weight around and successfully knocking them both into the sand. She scrambled to her feet, pulling out her keyblade again and lunging toward the doorway. Riku made a wild grab and managed to catch her ankle.  
  
"I can help him, Riku! Just let me go!!" She shrieked, swinging her fist down and punching him as hard as she could on the side of the face.  
  
She dashed past Sora and leapt through the doorway before they could stop her.

* * *

Heartless seemed to emanate from everywhere, appearing around Ansem in waves. He knew he didn't stand a chance against so many, he was already too weak to fight anymore. The darkness was slowly draining what little energy he had, and combined with the loss of blood, he could barely move.  
  
'I wonder if she'll forget about me after this..' He sank down until he was resting on his side in the darkness.   
  
He could feel the Heartless around him, and he could feel the remainder of his control slipping away. A deep, throbbing pain wracked his body, and he grimaced as he waited for it to pass. It was the same pain he had felt earlier in his bedroom, before he checked the Dark Depths. It wavered for a moment before returning with a vengeance, forcing him to stop breathing.  
  
The pain wore off after a few moments, and he inhaled deeply to try to rid his mind of the memory. He heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't have the strength to turn and look.  
  
A hand was placed on his shoulder, and Kairi's voice drifted down from above him.  
  
"Ansem, what's wrong? They closed the door, we need to get out of here." She pulled on his coat, managing to shift him onto his back and taking his face in her hands.   
  
She gazed down at him worriedly, gasping as she looked into his eyes. "Ansem, your eyes.. They're green.." She cursed loudly, struggling to pull him up.   
  
"We have to get you out of here, you're dying. Please, you have to get up." She swung the Oathkeeper around them again, warding off a wave of Heartless that ventured too near.  
  
Ansem struggled to move, but slipped back down after a few seconds. Kairi bent down, grabbing his arm forcefully and putting Oathkeeper away for a moment. She pulled roughly, managing to get him into a sitting position.   
  
"Please, I can't carry you, you have to try to walk. Ansem, come on! For me, do it for me?" She pleaded, holding his arm and stepping back as he struggled to pull himself to his feet. After several tries, he successfully managed to brace himself against Kairi and stepped forward.  
  
Kairi pulled Oathkeeper back out and supported him as they moved through the darkness. The Heartless backed away from the glow of the Oathkeeper, but Kairi was still anxious to get out as soon as possible.   
  
"That way.." Ansem groaned, pointing to the left.   
  
Kairi obeyed, and they moved quickly through the shadows. After a while, a thick set of double doors could be seen, glowing slightly among the darkness. Ansem motioned toward it and Kairi leaned forward to try to open it.   
  
The doors were heavy, and Kairi had to help Ansem sit down before pulling them open. A bright light immediately radiated from the other side of the doors.   
  
It took another few moments to get Ansem back to his feet and they quickly moved through the doors, hiding their eyes from the light. The doors swung shut behind them, and they emerged into a large garden. Ansem and Kairi both collapsed thankfully onto the soft grass.

* * *

Sora's angry shouts could be heard echoing all around the cave, reverberating off the now calm walls. Riku groaned and leaned back against the cold stone. To be truthful, Riku had been expecting a more mature reaction from his best friend.  
  
"So now, just because he's suddenly not evil anymore, Kairi's risking her life to help him?! Does this sound like a safe situation to you?!" Sora collapsed tiredly against the closed doors, glowering darkly at Riku.   
  
Arashi took her hands off of her ears, looking up at Sora from across the cave. "Ansem wasn't evil in the first place! The same thing could have happened to you had you been in his position!!" She yelled, turning and making her way down the tunnel.   
  
Riku shook his head, ignoring Sora's complaints and following Arashi. It had stopped raining, but the sand was soaked from the storm. Arashi stepped forward and wrapped her arms around herself, staring out at the ocean.   
  
She turned slowly to look at Riku as he walked up next to her. She gave him a small smile before turning to look around at the island.   
  
"He'll calm down after a while. We do need to get back to the others and see if we can track Kairi down though."  
  
Arashi turned to look at him again, "So you think she's still alive too?" She sounded slightly hopeful, Riku couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Of course she's still alive, she has the keyblade of light, after all. Besides, Ansem wouldn't let her die in there. He'd find a way to save her, he has determination to be reckoned with." He smiled slightly to himself, remembering what little characteristics he knew from being used as Ansem's puppet. Somehow, he didn't find the memory as painful anymore.  
  
Arashi looked slightly surprised by his statement. "Are you sure? You sound like you know him pretty well.."  
  
"Well, wouldn't you do everything in your power to protect someone you loved? And I get the impression he has more power than he realizes."  
  
Arashi was quiet after that statement, lost in her thoughts as they waited for Sora to emerge.  
  
Before either of them could say any more, the dull sound of a gummi ship could be hear over the ocean. Arashi looked up at it as it glided down to land in the sand a few meters away.  
  
"What is that? I've seen one before, but I've never really known what it was." She pointed at the ship in curiosity.  
  
Riku laughed, "Ask Cid, he'd be happy to teach you all about them."

* * *

"So you didn't even see Yuffie?" Squall asked, looking from Riku to Sora. The boys exchanged a look before shaking their heads.   
  
Squall had been the last person to see her, and they had already checked Kairi's house. Yuffie had disappeared. And for a loud, rather obnoxious ninja who loved terrorizing Cid and Cloud, it was highly irregular. She didn't know very many people on the islands and she simply wasn't the type to leave without telling Squall.  
  
"Where were you? Shouldn't she have been with you?" Sora asked. He was still a little upset over the Ansem incident, but he had calmed down once Squall and the others showed up.  
  
Squall shook his head, "I sent her to Kairi's house after Riku and Arashi. I told her to wait there until we showed up or something."  
  
"Where did you go?" Riku asked.  
  
"We picked up Tidus and Selphie. Then we made sure the gummi ship was fully stocked and everyone was ready to go. We were prepared to make a run for Traverse Town if necessary. Luckily, however, you managed to lock the door. All we need to do now is get to Disney Castle and check on the King, like you said." Cloud replied from the seat behind them.  
  
Aerith had woken up at some point, and she had nearly panicked when Sora and Riku had retold the group their story.  
  
Everyone had agreed that Disney Castle should be their first priority.

* * *

Kairi watched Ansem's sleeping form from her place on the lawn. She had managed to move him into the shade of a nearby tree after emerging from the door, and she had been somewhat surprised that with so many wounds he had been able to move at all.  
  
Had she been confident in her magic skills at all, she might have attempted a cure spell, but in her current lack of talent in magic, she had been more inclined to simply give him a few bandages and keep an eye on him. He seemed more tired than anything, in her opinion. She was going to let him sleep for a few hours and check to see how he was doing.  
  
It hadn't taken Kairi long to recognize their new surroundings as being inside Disney Castle, so as soon as she felt Ansem was safe to leave on his own, she had gone exploring.  
  
There seemed to be no sign of life anywhere inside the castle, and it was way too eerie for her to do a flat out search. The castle itself was in a state of disrepair, broken furniture and such strewn all around the castle and grounds. Whatever fight had taken place, there was no blood to be seen, and it had been horrendous. Her only guess was that the Heartless had taken everyone they could find, and made sure to check everywhere.   
  
Sora and the others would show up eventually, she assured herself. She knew they had managed to close the door, she had felt it right after entering the dark depths. They should be arriving within the next day or so, according to her calculations.   
  
Sighing from boredom, exhaustion, and loneliness, Kairi moved out of the sunlight to curl up on the grass next to Ansem. She silently hoped her friends would hurry, she didn't like being in the empty castle with someone who looked like they had gotten in a fight with Death himself.   
  
She was just about to drift off to sleep when she hear Ansem move next to her. She rolled over and watched as he sat up and looked down at her. She had to admit, he looked better already.  
  
"Kairi? Are you alright?" He asked quietly. He looked around the bright courtyard before settling his eyes back on her.  
  
She stared at him in disbelief before letting out a nervous giggle. "Me? You're the one who almost died in there.." She couldn't help but find his new green eyes a little distracting, she had become so used to them being a radiant orange.  
  
"Why did your eyes turn green..?" She blurted out, blushing slightly at her obvious lack of manners.  
  
He looked at her in surprise for a moment before laying back down against the soft grass. "I'm.. not Heartless anymore, I guess. It must have been the presence of your keyblade in the dark depths. The less light, the stronger your keyblade seems to get." He didn't seem disappointed in the idea of no longer being in control of the Heartless.  
  
"So does this mean you'll help us fight Sephiroth?" Kairi asked hopefully.  
  
Ansem thought for a moment. "I suppose I don't really have a choice at this point, but I do believe that was what I was doing when I arrived on your islands." He grinned at her, almost expecting to be reprimanded.  
  
He nearly jumped in surprise when she leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"You should get some rest, I'll see if there's any food around here." She smiled warmly at him as she stood up and walked away.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry it was short, I guess I say that a lot now, huh? I'll update soon. Please review.


	26. Coalition

Disclaimer: Insert your own damn disclaimer.

I'm so sorry! I got kicked out of my house by my dad a couple weeks ago, the day before I had planned to set everything aside for writing! Things have been crazy since then and much less than enjoyable, but they're sorta settling down again. This thing is totally against me indenting anything. Please review.

Okay, if something in this chapter doesn't quite fit with what's happened earlier in the story, please let me know right away so I can fix it!!! I'm not going to read through the story again, and I can't really remember if I've only had Sephiroth appear the one time or what. I had so many different suggestions with what to have him say to Ansem that I can't remember which one I was following! -smacks forehead-

* * *

Kairi shivered, retracing her steps through the castle. She stopped suddenly, spun around, and quickly made her way back down the hallway. Glancing to her left she noticed the eerily familiar painting of King Mickey and his Queen hanging on the wall above her head. 

She must have passed that damn painting eight times.

A few more steps down the hall and she was once again positive she was going the wrong way. And now that Ansem wasn't Heartless anymore, she couldn't even use her keyblade to track which way he was!

She let out an almighty sigh and slid down the wall to the floor. As far as she could tell, the kitchen was hidden, as were the storage closets. Ansem must have thought she'd been kidnapped, with how many hours she had been gone.

This castle hadn't ceased to amaze her even with all the hours she had spent trying to figure out where she was. It had large doorways in incredible halls, and more gardens than she had ever seen in her life. Though, none of them were as beautiful as the one she and Ansem had come through the door to. The growling of her stomach brought her out of her longing for the garden.

With a groan, she managed to pull herself back to her feet. She jumped almost playfully to the window across the wide hall and pressed her palms against the glass. It was getting dark out, several stars were already visible in the orange and purple sky.

She sighed, remembering Ansem down in the garden. He was probably wondering if she was alright, if he was still alive. A deep pain gripped her chest, the man she loved was bleeding to death in a garden somewhere, probably needing medical attention as she wandered the castle and got lost. What if his wounds had reopened and he was dying from blood loss? She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if he died because she was too stupid to know where the hell she was in this damned castle.

This thought made her blood freeze and her heart pound. She turned away from the window and ran down the vast hallway. She nearly tripped over a mangled chair and stumbled to a stop, glancing to either side.

She felt her senses tingle, looking up and down the hall for any sign of life. A sudden noise from her left made her spin around. Her heart skipped a beat and she crept forward to peer through an open doorway nearby. She moved slowly through the large dining room, amazed at the massive damage this room had received. Broken chairs lay everywhere, and there were many claw marks and scrapes on the thick tabletop.

Another noise caught her attention, and she thought she saw a shadow flash from across the dining hall. Seeing as she was lost, she wasn't particularly fond of the idea of getting in a fight with a Heartless, especially as exhausted and hungry as she was.

She turned quickly and ran back towards the hall, darting through the door and looking over her shoulder to see if the Heartless was following her.

She yelped as she tripped on something and slammed rather gracelessly into Ansem.

She didn't dare move as she caught her breath and stared at his chest in confusion. After a few seconds she shook her head, realizing he had basically caught her. She quickly shoved him away, checking carefully to make sure she hadn't reopened any wounds.

"Are you alright?! What are you doing wandering around?! You need to be resting! You're going to kill yourself if you overdo it!" She pouted angrily up at him, surprised to see him almost smiling.

She opened her mouth to protest some more, but he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and shook his head.

"I have a cure spell of my own, you know. And I got a little worried waiting for you, so I decided to go find some food and see if I could find you on the way. Did you get lost?" He smiled playfully and watched her contemplate whether or not he was healthy enough for punishment.

Her gaze softened after a moment and she pulled on his arm. "Well, if you're feeling so much better, let's go clean you up. No offense, but you look terrible."

He smiled sadly and moved forward, trying to make his slight limp unnoticeable. She led him down the hall and opened the doors she knew led to the guest bedrooms. There was a master bathroom in there, and there should be some sort of first aid kit.

Eventually, she noticed how much pain he was still in and slowed down considerably. Ansem didn't seem to happy at her being careful due to his injuries, but he didn't dare tell her to let him deal with it himself. Despite all the pain, he hadn't felt so good since the short time they had spend in Hollow Bastion together.

They finally reached the master bathroom and Kairi shoved the door open. He watched almost sadly as she made her way around the room, pulling out towels and shampoo. She dug through the closet and pulled out a first aid kit, pulling several things out of that as well before turning back to him and smiling.

"Come on, I can help if you want." She teased slightly. She darted forward and grabbed his arm as he limped into the bathroom.

Her teasing smile turned into a worried pout as she watched him struggle out of his shredded coat. A slight gasp escaped her lips as he pulled his bloodstained shirt off to reveal his bruised and lacerated chest.

She stepped forward and ran a shaking hand over his abused skin. He shuddered under her touch and felt himself blush, biting his lip when she lowered her hand and turned away from him.

"You should rinse yourself off, but be careful not to get any soap in your wounds. I'll go see if I can find anything for you to wear. When I get back, I'll help you wash your hair.." She disappeared out into the hallway and closed the door before Ansem could respond.

He sighed, ridding himself of the last of his mangled and bloody clothing and started the water. He hoped she would return soon, he didn't like this castle very much, he found it excruciatingly empty. He had become so accustomed to her being around.. Besides, if the Heartless managed to find him, he was defenseless.

* * *

Kairi knocked at the bathroom door, clutching the thick black material in her arms. "Ansem, I found some of Cloud's sweatpants in his room." She said softly as she turned her head away and opened the door to hand them to him. 

"Thank you." he whispered, taking the pants and quickly putting them on. He opened the door and let Kairi back in.

She smiled shyly at him and stepped inside. "Cloud's always forgetting things when he stays here.. I tried to find you a shirt, but he didn't have any in his room and I figured you'd get angry if I was gone too long." She laughed quietly. "If you want, I can go check Leon's room later, I bet he left something."

Before Ansem could really react, Kairi shoved him forward gently and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Come on, let's wash your hair. I think it's going to turn pink if we leave this blood in it too long!" She joked, helping him brace himself against the side of the bathtub.

She smiled to herself as she ran warm water over his snow white hair. She gently rubbed shampoo into it, and more than once, had to check and see if he had fallen asleep. He didn't say a single word the whole time she was washing his hair. He didn't even complain when her arm got tired and she leaned on him for support. She gently rinsed the lavender conditioner from his hair and reached for a towel. He shifted slightly when she dried his hair, but remained perfectly quiet.

After a few minutes, she finished with the towel and grabbed a hairbrush. She turned him around so she could sit on the edge of the bathtub and brush his hair. The conditioner had made it very soft and silky again, but she still winced as she dragged the brush through several knots. But still, he said nothing, and more or less appeared to be enjoying the experience. When she was done, she crawled around and looked at him, satisfied that he was finally clean.

After a second, she blinked, looking him up and down again. He was leaning with his back to the bathtub and his elbows rested on his knees. His hair hung loosely around his face and his bright green eyes stared back at her.

"Wow, Ansem, you look just like Sephiroth.." She said, regretting it instantly as he looked away from her.

She lowered her gaze. "You two are related, aren't you?" She asked quietly. When he didn't answer, she leaned forward and rested her hand on his arm.

"I don't hold it against you, I just want to understand what's going on.." He caught the hint of sadness in her voice and looked up at her.

"Yes, we're related.. Sephiroth is my father's younger brother. After my father's death, Sephiroth thought it was only fair that he should get the crown in my place, seeing as I was much younger than any previous king Hollow Bastion had known."

"So what happened?" Kairi urged when he didn't continue.

Ansem sighed, "The decision was left to the people. Unfortunately for Sephiroth, his evil intentions were more apparent than he thought. I was chosen instead, and Sephiroth disappeared less than a year later."

Kairi looked away, reaching for the first aid kit and pulling out what she needed. She began cleaning his wounds and dressing them. He winced as she applied the bandages and made sure they were tight enough. She gave him a small smile and stood once she was finished.

She reached both hands out to him, "Come on, I'll help you to your room."

He hesitated before accepting her hands, and was surprised by her strength. She pulled him somewhat easily to his feet and supported some of his weight over her shoulder. Moments later, she helped him into an unused bedroom and helped him sit down on the bed.

He nodded gratefully to her and smiled. "Goodnight, Kairi. Thank you, for helping me.." He whispered.

She gave him a gentle hug and returned the smile. "You're welcome, goodnight." She turned to leave, but hesitated. Spinning around quickly, she gently kissed him on the cheek again and left.

After closing his door, Kairi began toward her own bedroom. She paused outside her door, however, and instead of going inside, she continued down the hallway to the garden she knew was outside her bedroom window.

* * *

It was a beautiful night, crickets could be heard all around the shadowed garden. There was a gentle breeze every so often, and Kairi found it very relaxing after such a stressful day. The moon lit the lawn with a faint glow, and Kairi stepped forward and spread herself on the dark grass. 

She sighed happily, inhaling the fresh, crisp night air. Gazing up, the stars were visible, filling up the sky above the castle. Watching silently, a single star flashed brightly in the sky and disappeared. This caused Kairi to bolt back up, eyes widening at what she had just witnessed.

A tear rolled down her cheek. How could she have forgotten how serious the situation really was? That single world disappearing reminded her of the horrors that her friends might still be facing. All at once the weight that had been lifted from her since she and Ansem had arrived at the castle seemed to come crashing back down on her. Leaning her head forward, she buried her face against her knees and whimpered. The whimpers slowly became gentle sobs, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She barely even noticed as the strong arm wound itself around her shoulders. Slightly startled, she looked up into his shining green eyes.

"Sephiroth.." she whispered, not even bothering to maintain eye contact. If he wanted her dead, there was nothing she could do to stop him.

But instead of quickly dispatching her with his sword and taking her keyblade, he knelt in the grass beside her.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly, looking back up into his face.

He smirked evilly, "How are you and my little nephew getting along?" His arm tightened around her shoulders as she stared defiantly at him.

"Just fine, thank you." She said almost haughtily. She looked away from him to stare up at the starry sky.

Her blood almost froze at the deep laughter. He brought his hand up and stroked her now exposed throat. Her eyes widened in fear and she gasped lightly, shoving his hand away and trying to shuffle away from him.

She groaned in fear as he tightened his grip on her even more and held her still.

"Don't worry," He laughed softly, "I only came to talk to you."

"About what?" She almost growled as he moved closer and leaned on her.

"I have something that you're going to miss." He whispered in her ear.

She gave him a questioning look, one which shifted to horror as he drew a single shuriken out of his pocket. He held it over her left cheek and smiled.

"What did you do to Yuffie..?" she choked out, fear etched into her words.

Instead of receiving a response, Kairi watched as he took up her own hand and pressed the shuriken into her palm. She grimaced in pain as her hand was tightened around it, several shining drops of blood falling onto the grass.

Sephiroth grinned, bringing her hand up and licking the blood from her wrist as she stared at him. Something caught her attention off to the side of the garden, but when she tried to turn her head in that direction she felt one of Sephiroth's gloved hands move up to her neck and hold her still.

Without so much as a warning, he pressed his lips forcefully against hers. Her back stiffened at his actions and she growled in anger. However, at the signs of her discomfort, he simply pressed against her harder and forced her mouth open.

All at once, he released her and stepped away, laughing to himself.

"Leave her alone, Sephiroth. She's been through enough for one day." Ansem's low hiss sounded from directly behind Kairi.

"Sorry, Ansem. I didn't mean to intrude on your territory." he said jokingly, stepping away from them and heading toward a dark portal. He turned and gave them one last smirk before stepping into the darkness and vanishing.

* * *

"What are you doing out here..?" Kairi asked softly, watching as Ansem lowered himself onto the grass beside her. 

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought it might help to watch the stars for a while. Then I saw you out here, but Sephiroth was standing behind you. I didn't exactly know what to do, so I just came down here to watch in case he tried anything." He answered quietly.

Kairi sighed, subconsciously resting her head against his shoulder. He reached down and picked up her hand, tossing the shuriken onto the lawn and examining the wound. It hadn't cut her hand very deep, it would be healed in less than a week, he determined.

"We should go inside and get something for your hand." He gave her a serious look and began to stand up.

He was surprised when she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to her. "No, please. It doesn't really hurt, I'd rather just sit out here with you.." She said.

He gazed at her for a moment before standing up. "I'll be right back, then." He said before he turned and disappeared in the shadows of the garden.

True to his word, he returned several minutes later with the necessary first aid supplies. She watched in silence as he gently cleaned her hand with hydrogen peroxide and blew on it. Once he felt satisfied that she wouldn't die from infection, he wrapped some gauze over it and bandaged her hand. When he was finished, he placed a kiss over her injury and released her.

She couldn't help but blush as she looked up at him. She leaned into him again and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Oh, I forgot to find you a shirt." She mumbled into his shoulder. "Sorry.."

He laughed, "I don't mind."

They sat in silence for several minutes, listening to only the chirping of the crickets and the rustling of the occasional wind.

"Can I ask you something?" Kairi whispered, looking up at him. He nodded. "How do you know Arashi?"

He was quiet for a moment before replying. "I assume you already know she was a resident of Hollow Bastion," Kairi nodded at this, "I was engaged to her older sister, Ame."

"What happened?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. She came to me nearly a week before Hollow Bastion was overrun by the Heartless, and told me she didn't want to marry me anymore. She didn't say anything else, she simply turned and walked out of the door."

"Oh, what happened to her?" Kairi asked, blushing when she realized how rude it must have sounded.

"She's dead.." Ansem sounded regretful, so Kairi didn't want to press him for more information.

After a few moments, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and he hugged her rather sadly.

"You know, it's probably not a good time, but back in Hollow Bastion.. I was serious when I said I love you.." Kairi said softly to him, biting her lip. That wasn't what she had meant to say, but it was what had been plaguing her mind all night.

Ansem sighed. "You're too young to know for sure.." His words hurt both of them, and he slowly stood. He didn't even look back at her as he made his way back into the castle.

* * *

He had just reached his bedroom door when Kairi's running footsteps could be heard down the dark corridor. Instead of going inside, he stood facing his door and waited for her. He knew he shouldn't have, but something inside of him honestly wanted to talk to her about it. 

She came to a stop beside him, panting lightly from more than just the run.

"Ansem, please, I-"

"I told you, Kairi, it can never work." he turned from his door to look into her eyes, startled to find that the deep blue orbs flashed a challenge.

"Do you love me?" Ansem sighed, running a hand through his hair. They were going in circles with this.

"Yes, I do.." He said quietly, afraid of where she was taking the conversation.

"And I love you, so why exactly won't this work?" She was starting to get truly angry with him.

"You're only seventeen, you're too young to know if you're in love!" he hissed.

Kairi angrily stomped her foot. "I'm a Princess of Heart, I think I'm pretty damn sure of what I'm fucking feeling!!" She shouted, eyes welling with tears.

He was slightly taken aback, he couldn't remember a time when Kairi had truly cursed at him.

"So tell me, why won't this work?!!" Tears were streaming openly down her face now.

"Because I'm going to die, Kairi! You must know this already, so why do you wish to press this matter?!" He felt sorry for shouting back at her, but he was confused.

Neither of them seemed to know exactly what to say, so he reached forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Kingdom hearts may have reversed a lot of what the Heartless did to me, but some things simply cannot be reversed. I know you can sense this, especially with your keyblade.. But with my ties to the darkness, I can not survive this way… This war will eventually claim my life, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

He hugged Kairi tighter as her shoulders shook.

"The worst possible way to hurt the one you love, is to leave them so abruptly. If it means I will suffer even more by sparing you from this pain…" He cursed inwardly as his voice betrayed his determination.

"All I want, is to be with you. If the worlds are saved from Sephiroth's madness, it still means nothing to me if you're not here. If you're doomed to the world of Darkness, then I'll follow you. So please, let me be with you while we still have a chance.." She had buried her face in his chest, and he could feel her tears against his bare skin.

Her words were full of sincerity, she was completely serious. Ansem sighed again, unable to stop himself. He reached down and lifted her chin with his hand. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before he brought his lips to hers in a loving kiss. He sighed in frustration when he pulled away.

"If only we had never met, you could still be with Sora. Safe from all of this.. I'm so sorry." he hugged her again, a tear of his own slipping down his face.

* * *

A/n: Yea, well, that was fluffy. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it works. The plot has crashed into place now, so believe it or not, but the story should be moving along a bit faster now. Please let me know what you thought! 


	27. I gave up on titles, tis just 27

Disclaimer; Go away! I don't own it so stop scaring me!

This chapter is totally for you guys, all my reviewers who took the time to scream at me, I love you all. And those of you offering your support on my horrid situation, thank you. I'm so sorry I took so long on this. I don't know what happened, I just haven't felt like writing anything in a long time. My boyfriend and I have been going through hell, I moved and now we live 45 minutes apart. And he has bad grades so my dad says I have to dump him even though he is the sweetest guy I have ever met and he drew me the most adorable little picture, he draws like a 5 year old though.

To make up for the fact that I suck, I'm going to make some art for this story and dedicate it to all you poor people that hate me now. On I'll post a link once I have something.

And if you hadn't caught on, this is where the 'R' rating comes in. Fun times. You don't have to read it, and if you can't tell when it's coming up, you deserve to accidentally read it. And if this story gets taken down for crappy yet still explicit content, I will be posting it on So no worries!

* * *

Deep laughter echoed around the room, "Enjoying yourself?"

Yuffie spun around, eyes darting around the pitch black darkness around her. The voice itself sent a shiver down her spine, but she wasn't about to let him know that.

"Very much, thanks! Though I can't say much for the generous view!" She shot back, pulling Squall's coat tighter around herself and flinging the hood over her hair. She nearly jumped as more laughter rose up around her in the dark.

"Do you know where you are yet, little ninja?" His blatant amusement was almost enough to make her sick.

"Better not be your nasty bondage basement! You fucking touch me and Squall's gonna kick your ass!" She called out to her captor.

Her own comment brought her thoughts back to Squall. She couldn't help but wonder if he was doing alright without her. She hoped he wasn't getting himself all worked up over her disappearance, though she definitely hoped it would motivate somebody to rescue her, she wasn't dumb enough to try fighting Sephiroth on her own. However, she was always up for a good taunt…

"He will? Well then, I suppose I'd better keep my distance. I was going to have a bit of a chat with you, but I suppose I can leave that up to a good friend of mine." This time the sound of his laughter fading away made Yuffie even more nervous.

Scuffling in the shadows behind her made her jump. She spun quickly and instinctively reached for the shuriken that she forgot had been taken away from her. Two glowing yellow eyes floated out of the darkness toward her, making her blood freeze as the rather large Heartless dragged itself toward her.

It looked like a regular shadow Heartless, but it was much larger, must have been eight feet tall at least, with long claws that scraped along the ground from its gangly body. It walked with a limp as it moved itself toward her, causing an even more terrifying noise as its clawed feet scuffed the floor.

Yuffie bit back a scream and spun around to run for it. She held onto the hood of Squall's coat with both hands as she dashed in the opposite direction the Heartless was in.

"Wait! Sephy! I was just kidding around! No need to get so hasty!" She forced her voice to at least sound like she wasn't absolutely terrified, but she was sure Sephiroth must have been laughing his ass of somewhere in those damned shadows.

* * *

As usual with his demeanor, Ansem remained silent as Kairi closed his door behind them. She walked over to join him at the window and gently hugged him, sighing rather heavily. She rested her head against his chest for a moment before leaning up to look into his eyes.

"He's got Yuffie.. What does he want with her?" She asked, not really expecting him to know the answer. To her surprise, Ansem actually leaned over to look out the window and thought about it.

"I don't think it was necessarily her he wanted, but the advantages that comes with her being at his mercy. If you look at it from Sephiroth's point of view, he has about seven enemies that really pose a threat to him. He knows that Yuffie is precious to everyone in your group, her high spirits and enthusiasm are a big advantage to you, really. He figures that by taking her and perhaps making her into a Heartless much like.. What I did to Riku.. That he might face better odds at defeating us." He gazed back down at her with a somewhat blissfully innocent look.

Kairi couldn't help but laugh at that. Before remembering their conversation. "So, why did he come talk to me tonight? If he had wanted to put his point across, shouldn't he have confronted Squall?"

Ansem smiled, "Actually, I think he was thinking of you as being kind of the leader of your group. You see, back at Hollow Bastion, Sephiroth was a General of our army. He was responsible for the well-being of many soldiers, perhaps he was comparing you to himself, making you responsible, as the leader, for Yuffie's safety."

Kairi stared at him in surprise. "What? I'm not the leader! Now that King Mickey is gone, Sora should be the leader!"

Ansem laughed. "Well considering his two greatest threats, myself and Sora, are both under your control, that technically puts you in charge." He smiled again as Kairi blushed.

Both were silent again for several minutes, watching the stars out the window. A shooting star darted across the sky, but the only thing it did was make Kairi a little sad.

"What are we supposed to do now..?" She asked quietly. "Is there anyway we could stop this war and restore some kind of balance between light and dark?" She watched anxiously as Ansem thought about it.

"Hmm, nothing that could be easily accomplished. It all depends on Sephiroth. If he chooses to call the Heartless off, the war will be stopped, however, that would never happen. The only way would be to kill Sephiroth, but then we would need to keep the Heartless under control, that would be rather difficult, however. There would be nothing to tell them what to do, they would hunt the keyblade wielders senselessly, killing anyone they came across. Perhaps if we could find a way to lock the doors to the Dark world, we could contain them. Ah, but there is no such keyblade that opens or closes the door to darkness, not that I know of at least."

"Well, what if you could take command of the Heartless again? Couldn't you control them?" Kairi asked hopefully.

"Not anymore, I don't think. They know who I am and they have refused me for Sephiroth. In my current state I am far too weak to force command over them again, and I highly doubt that they would willingly accept me as their King." Kairi sighed. This situation was getting too complex, she couldn't help but feel that she was missing some important facts. She looked up at Ansem again, watching him as he appeared to be deep in thought. She could tell by his expression that something was troubling him, most likely that last statement he had made. Though the Heartless had destroyed Ansem's life, she could tell that he still missed them. He had spend years researching them, dedicated his life to them, they became his life. And now they were gone. She couldn't imagine how empty it must feel.

Not able to stand the sad look on his face, she slowly reached up and gently kissed him. When he failed to respond to her, she bit him playfully. He simply laughed at her and hugged her tightly as he finally returned her kiss. She was rather alarmed when she tasted blood, but she decided it was probably better to stop fussing over his injuries for a few hours. But just for good measure, she ran a hand over the bandages on his more serious wounds to make sure nothing seemed out of place. He laughed quietly when he noticed what she was doing, swiftly picking her up. She yelped in surprise, pulling away from him to see what he was doing, before he gently set her back on the bed and curled up beside her. "You should get some sleep, I think you've had more stress today than me." He whispered. She gave him a playful glare, but took his advice and settled down to try to sleep.

* * *

It had to have been around three or four in the morning when Kairi's shivering awoke her. The night had started out surprisingly warm, but since she had fallen asleep beside Ansem, the temperature had dropped significantly. She lay still for a moment as she tried to determine whether or not he was awake. Unable to tell, Kairi shifted her head and gazed around the shadowed room. After several silent moments, she heard the quiet whisperings of fabric as Ansem moved his hand up from the bed and gently rested it on her hip. She looked down in amusement as he gently played with the material of her black skirt, causing her to roll over to look up into his eyes. He looked as though he was asking for permission to touch her, so she giggled and stuck out her tongue. He quickly leaned down and claimed her mouth, laughing silently as she protested in indignation.

Relaxing after a moment, she let herself sink into the kiss and braced a hand against his chest. He continued to play with the material of her skirt, hesitating for a moment before slipping his hand lower to brush against the soft skin of her thigh. When she made absolutely no indication that she was uncomfortable with his behavior, he moved his hand back up to trace along the waistband of the skirt. She knew exactly what he was getting at, and pressed herself a bit closer to him despite her shake of nervousness.

However, he felt her shiver and pulled away, the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her, and he knew why she was shivering. He removed his hand from her waistband and opened his mouth to apologize. "Please.. I'm fine, I just.. Have never even gotten this far before.." She blushed deeply but stared into his eyes. He made no move to continue, giving her a slight look of worry.

"Look, you really don't have to-" She moved forward and roughly kissed him, and to further her point, gripped his shoulders and pulled him over her. He was about to reprimand her for not taking him seriously when she giggled and reached down to tickled his side. Ansem stared at her in surprise and couldn't help but grin. Reaching down, he took her hand and held it firmly above her head.

"I'm sorry, I just.. You know, I don't want you to think that.." She kissed him again and ran her free hand through his hair. Instead of continuing where he had left off, he kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, waiting for her to stop shivering.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax, slowly feeling her nerves calm. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, keeping her eyes closed while he slowly began to respond. She felt his arm slide out from under her back and slip quickly down to her hip, stroking the skin there before moving down to her thigh again. She sighed contentedly as his fingertips stroked against her skin. He quickly moved his hand back up to massage her chest. She let her head loll to the side, finding herself unable to believe that this was really happening. 'Finally happening,' she thought shyly to herself. 'And he's so gentle, so slow. He even smells good.' She giggled quietly again, peering at him slowly. 'Ah, but what would my mother say?' She smiled widely as she tried to imagine the look on her mother's face if she knew her little girl was sleeping next to this man. The very same man that had tried to destroy the universe less than a few years before. 'That's my little girl!' would be the most probable answer. Kairi couldn't help but think of her mother as being a little bit of a slut. Or maybe just daring, yes, daring sounded much less dirty. The thought made her frown in disgust, what was she doing thinking about her mother at a time like this?

She was jarred out of her thoughts when she felt him lean down and nuzzle his face into her neck. His hand shifted back down and began kneading the skin of her lower hip. His touch sent a rush of adrenaline through her veins, she could feel her senses becoming intoxicated by him.

Ansem nearly jumped when he felt her hand take his firmly, worried that perhaps he had gone too far for her. She simply laughed at his worried look and guided his hand in unclasping her skirt and shifting it down off her hips. Flashing him a small smile, she lifted her hips and kicked the skirt onto the floor, causing his eyes to widen. He didn't know she had so much, well.. 'spunk'. She had seemed so sweet and innocent at first, but then again, she wouldn't be the first girl he had been with that had seemed sweet or innocent.

A certain sense of sadness welled up inside him, memories he wished he could forget returning. In so many ways, she really did remind him of his lost Ame. He still remembered their first night together. She had said she was ready, she had asked him to, she had started everything. And she had cried. She had told him that it had been a sin. A term he wasn't familiar with, a belief of her family. He didn't want Kairi to blame him the same way if things got that far. But then again, Kairi was so much stronger than Ame ever was…

"Do you want this?" he asked quietly, not even meaning for the words to come out. His breath hitched as her eyes widened at his nearly blatant request. After a moment her gaze softened.

"Of course, but only if you're ready." She grinned at him teasingly. He almost laughed at her, he hadn't been aware that his emotions were so easy to read, but the whole time she had understood his uneasiness perfectly.

He was still unsure, but her determination was enough to assure him that it was safe to continue. As if to prove the point to himself, he leaned down and kissed her gently. After a moment of hesitation, he traced his tongue along her lip in a teasing gesture as her lips slowly parted. To his surprise, she quickly nipped his own bottom lip, nearly drawing blood, before meeting his own tongue in a loving embrace.

She broke the kiss only to assist him in removing her shirt, lifting the soft material above her head and tossing it to the floor with her skirt. Ansem took a moment to admire her fine curves, once again running his hand along her smooth skin. He leaned in and kissed her again, while simultaneously reaching behind her arched back to unclip her bra. She breathed a deep sigh, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he moved his mouth down to the side of her neck. She let out a breathy moan as he worked his way along her soft neck, leaving tiny marks in a trail to her collarbone.

She felt his fingers trace along her stomach, slipping into the hem of her thin panties and gently easing them lower on her hips. She eagerly helped him remove the offending clothing by wiggling herself out of them, casting them aside and leaving her completely bare beneath him. With the absence of her underwear, he continued to rub her skin, taking his hand lower.

Now finding no obstruction, he slowly moved his hand between her legs, moving it gently as he watched her eyes slide closed. He kept his hand there for a moment, reveling in her beauty and warmth before moving a finger inside. Her eyes shot open and she looked up at him half in surprise and half in pleasure. She wasn't completely sure how she was supposed to act, so she limited herself with eliciting a low moan. He continued to move his hand now, enjoying the reactions he could get from her.

After several more moments of this, she had had enough and was ready to move on. She took his hand from her and took hold of the sweatpants he still wore, pulling them down as he reached to help her. The sweatpants were quickly on the floor with her clothing, and he was on her again.

"Are you sure? It will hurt. And I can't give it back once I've taken it." Ansem whispered, staring into her deep purple eyes. Kairi smiled gently at him,

"I know.." She whispered back, placing her hands on his hips and moving him closer to her.

Ansem pressed a hand gently against her leg, moving it further to the side as he positioned himself at her entrance. He gripped her hips tightly and stared into her rather nervous eyes. He hesitated only a moment before bringing his hips forward and thrusting into her, quickly breaking past her barrier.

Almost immediately her arms slid tightly around his back and her fingernails dug into his skin. A whimper escaped her lips and a pained grimace came over her face. He held still, trying to give her time to adjust to him. He knew it was going to take her weeks to fully adjust to their size differences, however.

Moving a bit slower, he pulled out and brought himself back in again. This time she couldn't hold back a yowl of pain, tears nearly stinging in her eyes. Guilt hit him then, and he leaned forward and nuzzled into her soft skin, kissing her neck gently.

"I'm sorry.." He whispered against her cheek. Kairi brought their lips together and kissed him lovingly.

"It's not your fault, I knew what I was getting into. Please.." She gave him a rather tremulous smile and urged him to continue.

He quickly obeyed, gently bringing their hips into a steady rhythm, trying to lull her pain into a dull ache. After a few minutes she felt the pain fade, replaced with an intense pleasure. Her pained growls quickly faded to moans of pleasure, encouraging him to move faster. He let out a low moan himself, leaving one hand to brace him against the pillows and bringing the other back down to her hip.

She gasped in surprise, feeling a deep warmth beginning just between her legs. It quickly grew, making her eyes slide closed as her voice rose with the pleasure. It spread out, wracking her whole body in the delicious sensation. Almost unable to bear it, she dug her fingernails deep into his back, drawing bloody trails as she raked her fingers down his back.

He was quickly brought to his own climax, leaving him to stare bewilderedly into her face as she allowed her body to relax.

"That was.. Amazing." She breathed, closing her eyes and sinking back into the blankets as their fevered movements slowed and stopped.

Ansem couldn't help but smile, those three words erased all his doubts. He rolled onto his side, hugging her tightly to his chest and kissing her forehead. She sighed happily, wrapping her own arms around him again and relaxing into his embrace. He reached to the side and grabbed a blanket, pulling it up over them as the night chill set in.

"I love you." She reminded him before drifting off to sleep.

Ansem smiled to himself, "I love you too, Kairi."

* * *

Sighing softly, Kairi inhaled the cold morning air and opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she had about no clue where in the hell she was. The second thing she noticed was that there was a rather muscular male arm thrown gently over her chest. She was snapped out of her daze when she realized that Ansem was breathing lightly against her neck. After several minutes of contentedly listening to him breathe, Kairi decided that she wanted out of bed. She gently lifted his arm and moved out from under it, nearly crying out from the sharp pain that suddenly appeared between her legs.

Her memory of the previous night came flooding back as she noted that neither of them was clothed. She swiftly slid out from under the covers anyway and crept silently to the door. Once it clicked shut behind her, she made her way to the bathroom and locked herself inside. The sound of the bath running filled her senses and Kairi listened happily as the warm moisture drifted into the air around her body.

Once it was full, she simply slid into the water, considering she wasn't exactly sure where her clothes had gotten to anyway. The warm water felt good against her skin. She couldn't believe that what had taken place the night before had really happened.

The now Second most dangerous man in the universe had just taken her virginity. What the hell was wrong with the world! 'Ahh, but I think I'm really falling in love with him.' She sighed mentally to herself. He was the most perfect guy she had ever met. He was just as sweet as Sora, but was also smart and understanding like Riku. The best of both worlds, so to speak.

Up until that point she had forgotten what being with him could mean. She had been rather selfish, now that she really thought about it. She hadn't considered what this could mean to Sora, or Riku, or anyone. What would her parents think? Ansem must have been at least ten years older than her! Besides the fact that he was the infamous Heartless King.

Tears stung her eyes as she remembered their conversation the night before. He was right, she supposed, he was going to die if Sora defeated Sephiroth. But, if Sephiroth killed Sora and took the Keyblade, Kairi herself would die. The only way to save them both would be to call the forces of light and dark back into an equal balance, but that was absolutely impossible at this point. It seemed like their only option was to help save the universe from Sephiroth's evil and throw themselves into the World of Darkness. She wasn't going to leave him now, and Sora himself couldn't stop her.

After a few more minutes she realized she had been bathing for quite a while, so she finished washing her hair and climbed out. She still didn't have any clothes, so she wrapped a towel around herself instead. Opening the bathroom door slowly, she glanced down the hall to make sure Ansem's door was still shut. When she was sure she would be undisturbed, she darted across the hall and ran into Yuffie's old bedroom.

She knew she hadn't left any useful clothing in her room, but Yuffie was well known for leaving behind spare clothing wherever she went. After much digging she managed to find an old pair of Yuffie's shorts. They looked just like her favorite yellow ones, but these were black. More digging revealed a small light blue tank top in the back of a drawer. It looked like something Yuffie would never wear, way too preppy. Aerith must have bought it for her, it still had a price tag. She quickly dressed herself and threw her shoes back on.

She crossed the hallway into Leon's old bedroom, throwing open his dusty closet. Sure enough, he had left behind quite a bit of clothing in the bottom of the closet. He was a picky dresser, so he wouldn't wear most of what the king had provided for him, even according to his own tastes. She pulled out a plain black t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts for Ansem and closed the door. He was still asleep when she crept back into his room with the clothes. She set them next to him on the bed and decided to head for the kitchen. She was absolutely starving and she knew when he woke up he would want some food, too.

* * *

"We're here. Hey! Wake up, kid, we're fuckin' here!" Cid bellowed in Sora's ear as he roused the young Keyblade master from his sleep. Sora had fallen asleep next to Cid in the cockpit of the gummi ship on their way to Disney Castle, but now that they had arrived his fatigue quickly disappeared and he bounded out of the ship and onto the gravel outside.

"King Mickey! Donald! Goofy!" He shouted desperately. Upon receiving no reply from the vacant castle, Sora dashed inside, followed closely by Riku and Cloud. The castle was absolutely ripped apart inside. It was obvious to them that there had been a fight, anything that could have been thrown around appeared to have been.

"Oh god, Sephiroth really did get to him.." Sora breathed, gazing around at the ruined castle in anger.

"Sora, did you hear that?" Riku asked quietly, staring straight ahead.

Listening intently, the boys could hear something moving up ahead. A shadow darted quickly across their path and instantly all three had produced their weapons and were ready to fight. A soldier Heartless rose silently from the floor behind them and leaped viciously at Cloud. With a swing of his buster sword, the Heartless dissipated in a poof of purple smoke, leaving the hallway seemingly deserted once again. Another shadow darted along to their left, vanishing before any of them could really catch a glance. A loud thump from up ahead caught their attention, and Sora motioned for them to advance on their enemy.

A moving shadow danced across the floor just before them, and Sora readied his Keyblade as he prepared an attack. Just as he was nearing it, however, several more soldier Heartless chose that time for a small ambush, rising quickly just beneath them and catching the trio off guard.

With a shout or anger and surprise, Sora leapt forward and swung his Keyblade overhead, bringing it down on what he had thought was a Heartless. He heard a loud shriek as his eyes focused on the girl he was swinging his weapon at, stumbling back in panic a she tried to defend herself.

"Kairi!" He yelled, unable to stop his heavy Keyblade from falling.

He didn't have time to react, however, as a yellow flash of light enveloped him and he felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs. There was a sharp pain against the back of his head and his arm, and he noticed somehow that his keyblade had slipped out of his hand, but everything seemed to blur together for a few gut-wrenching moments.

When he had finally sorted out his thoughts, he realized that he was leaning all the way across the hall on the floor. His eyes refocused and he caught sight of Kairi, leaning shakily on a very tall, well-built man that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Sephiroth!" Sora blurted out, noticing that the man had long white hair and flashing green eyes.

"Calm down, Sora, it's just Ansem." Riku growled, smacking his friend upside the head before helping him stand up.

* * *

A/N: I hope it wasn't too bad. Sorry it was short, if I had kept writing this would turn into one annoyingly long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please let me know what you thought. About the story, not about how long it took me to update, I'm quite aware that I took forever. I'm not going to re-read it right now, I'm assuming it's good enough. It's three in the morning, I'm tired, goodnight. 


	28. On the Road

**Disclaimer:** Be creative, imagine your own disclaimer.

I'm sorry the story sucks now. I'm trying to make it work somehow, but it's being difficult. Me and my boyfriend only broke up twice this month over stupid reasons, so things are hectic. I feel like a retard about it, too.

After I post this chapter I am writing another Riku X Kairi story. I don't know how soon it will be posted, I might decide to write the whole thing before I try posting it. I plan on using all the stuff I learned in my advanced literature class, so let's hope it's really worth reading. Please review, it helps to motivate me to update faster.

**Chapter 28**

* * *

"Kairi, I was worried." Riku moved forward and pulled her into a tight hug. Looking over her shoulder, he nodded his thanks to Ansem for more than getting her there safely. "I knew she'd pull you out of that mess alright." He smirked at the older man, receiving disbelieving looks from Sora and Cloud.

That statement really bothered Sora, Riku wasn't one to cozy up to people, but he definitely didn't hate Ansem, even after everything he had been put through. Even Cloud seemed a little more relaxed than he should have been. What was wrong with everyone? Was Sora the only one that remembered everything Ansem had done? He couldn't understand why everyone could just decide to like him like this. His expression darkened as he noticed how close Kairi was standing to him, how easily he was talking to Riku, how even Cloud was responding helpfully as Ansem retold how they had gotten there and his thoughts on the situation.

"We need to figure out where Sephiroth is hiding, first. I don't feel that he would stay in the End of the World, perhaps he is using a world we were previously unaware of as his new domain." He explained, oblivious to Sora's cold demeanor.

"That would make sense. We know that he has King Mickey, Yuffie, and the others. I think we should head back to Hollow Bastion and see if we can figure out where he is and how to deal with this situation." Kairi suggested, looking around at the group. She received no complaints, so she made her way past the men and into the hall, heading toward where the gummi ship was.

* * *

"Sora, you coming? We're probably heading for Hollow Bastion soon. Did you want to look around or something?" He hesitated when Sora made no indication that he knew Riku was there. Moving closer he tried again. 

"Kairi said they've checked the castle and didn't find anything but left behind Heartless." Riku cautiously approached his friend.

Sora appeared to be staring blankly out the nearest window, his face showing no emotion as he turned to look at Riku. "What's so great about him all the sudden? You used to hate him, you know. Kairi too. Why's he so great now?" He growled.

The blatant anger in his voice made Riku nearly jump back in surprise. "What do you mean, Sora? He's not evil anymore, he's on our side. We have no reason to hate him anymore. And now that he's not Heartless, he's in control of himself. He's not a bad guy, really. Maybe if you'd give him a chance you could see that." he replied, brow furrowing as he stared at the younger boy. He wanted to say more, but shook his head and walked away. He knew it would sink in sooner or later, Sora just needed some time.

* * *

Everyone had decided they wanted to take a good look around before shoving off for Hollow Bastion, so Riku walked out to the gummi ship to make sure they wouldn't need any more supplies before they left. He had just reached the door of the gummi ship when he felt a shiver run down his spine. Turning slowly, he cast a glance back at Disney Castle, shining brightly in the afternoon sun. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Riku turned back to get into the ship, jumping in surprise as he came face to face with Ansem. 

"Woah!" he yelped, stepping back and shaking his head. "Some habits really do die hard, huh?" he laughed nervously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Ansem grinned darkly at him, moving to the side so he wasn't standing between Riku and the ship. He wasn't trying to be threatening, he just wanted a closer look at the boy he had possessed some years before.

There was an awkward silence as Ansem stared at the younger man, taking in every detail. He had changed dramatically over the years. Much taller, more filled out, he could sense that his heart was much stronger than it had been, as well. That was good, little chance of Sephiroth trying to do the same thing Ansem had done to him.

It didn't take Riku long to figure out what Ansem was doing.

"Worried?" He asked calmly, voice deepening to a more serious tone. He watched Ansem inspect him before turning to look into the younger man's face.

"Perhaps." He wondered for a moment if he really should say more. He watched the aqua eyes dart around, taking in his own figure, probably sizing him up. There was a brief moment of silence between them before Riku found the right words.

"I'm done making mistakes. I want to protect her, you know that. Just because your puppet trick worked once doesn't mean he can use it on me again. At this point, I think the one we should really worry about it Sora. He's not buying the situation, he doesn't trust you." His own words made him think a bit deeper, and he cut back in before Ansem could respond.

"Maybe you really can't be trusted the way you make yourself out to be, but in my opinion, you've proven that you have no use for Sephiroth. I'm willing to trust that you're not exactly a threat to us either." As if to seek confirmation of his statement, Riku glanced up and made eye contact with the former king.

His face remained blank as he watched the silver-haired man walked past him and climb into the gummi ship. Once Riku was safely out of sight, Ansem allowed a playful smirk to grace his features. He didn't like many people, but Riku was high on the list.

* * *

"Ansem!" Kairi called as she jumped into the gummi ship. "Have you seen-" She stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of him, mouth dropping open in surprise. 

"What is it, Kairi?" He asked quietly, looking up from the half-finished game of chess.

She shook her head and stepped forward. "Oh, I was just looking for Riku, but I see you found him already.." She said, watching the young man stand up and turn to face her.

"What did you need?" he asked happily, walking around the low table.

"Um, I didn't know either of you played chess.." She said sheepishly, pointing to the board on the table.

"Yea, on occasion. Ansem's a lot better than me, I was kind of losing really bad. But anyway, what'd you need?" he gave her a friendly smile.

"Oh! Leon wanted you to help him load up some stuff they got from storage." She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb for emphasis. He nodded and hopped out the door.

"Chess, huh?" She whispered playfully, walking over to Ansem and plopping down cross-legged beside him.

He looked over at her and grinned. "I used to play it quite often at Hollow Bastion. Care to learn?" He took her hand and kissed it gently.

She giggled quietly at his gesture. "Not really. I just wasn't really expecting it." She gave him a funny look before continuing. "We're leaving in a few minutes. You sure you want to go to Hollow Bastion?"

He looked up from the board in surprise. His face quickly relaxed into a small smile when he realized what she meant. "Yes, there are some research books on the Heartless that could be useful. Also some theories I wrote before Hollow Bastion fell. I know your comrades have no desire to stay there, and I really don't have any reason to want to go back. So if what you meant to ask is, will I follow you back to your Islands, then yes, I will go wherever you send me."

Kairi smiled happily, leaning in slowly and squeezing his hand. Their lips had nearly touched when the door was thrown open with a slam.

"Hey guys!" Selphie chirped, her sudden entrance making Kairi jump. " Buckle up! We're leaving as soon as Leon and Riku finish up." She said, walking quickly past them and finding her usual seat. Humming softly to herself, she produced a book and began reading.

Ansem's face was blank again as he picked up the chess board, returning it to it's place under the seat. He stood up and made his way toward the back of the ship, where the spare rooms were located. Kairi followed him back, peeking into the room he disappeared into.

He had seated himself on one of the beds, and appeared to be thinking. She glanced back in time to see Leon and Sora pass by the hallway, followed by Cid. She supposed they were probably taking off now. Not wanting to talk to the others yet, Kairi darted into the room and eased the door closed behind her. Ansem didn't even glance up, he had a vaguely sad expression on his face.

Kairi sighed, she knew what he was thinking about, she had caught on when she saw him and Riku playing chess. Crossing the room to a makeshift vanity table, she picked up a hairbrush and sat beside him on the bed. Bringing the brush up, she gently pulled it through a loose lock of his hair. She continued to brush his hair and gradually his eyes closed. He seemed a bit more relaxed when she was finished, leaning lightly against her.

"Sora will never trust me." He said abruptly.

Kairi hesitated for a moment and began slowly brushing his already neat hair again. "He will someday.. Well anyway, the others are starting to get used to you, I think. Leon, Aerith and Cloud don't seem to think you'll turn on us. And Selphie and Tidus don't seem to understand who you were." She said helpfully. "Riku is starting to like you." She added after thinking for a moment.

Ansem was quiet as he thought about her statement. "But to defeat Sephiroth, I will need Sora's help as well. It will be difficult if he thinks I am just going to turn on him and try to kill him. I can understand his reasoning…" She could tell that it was really distressing him that Sora didn't trust him. She could respect that, she wouldn't want Sora on edge around her either, he could do some damage if he chose to.

Kairi jumped slightly as the deep sound of the gummi ship's engines roared to life around them. "I guess we're leaving." She smiled brightly at him. After a moment, the ship jolted violently and she moved to the window to watch Disney Castle fall away below them.

The sight almost made her sad, like the first time she had returned to Destiny Islands. Watching the whole island spring back to life around her had left quite a mark on her memory. She had watched an island return to her, when she couldn't remember having left it in the first place. And instead of receiving answers, she had to wait for Riku and Sora to show up again. She was the only one on the island that remembered. The others had all thought she was going insane when she tried to explain where Sora and Riku had gone. Of course, things changed the day a gummi ship landed on the beach and a triumphant Sora leapt out dragging a rather disgruntled Riku.

Shivering at the memory, Kairi spun around to face Ansem, the one who had caused all the real problems in her life. He had shifted into a cross-legged position and almost looked like he was meditating. She watched him for a moment, taking in the scene. He looked so relaxed in the black shirt and sweatpants, loose white hair flowing down his back and shoulders.

Moving slowly, she walked up next to the bed where he was sitting. When he didn't seem to acknowledge her presence, she swiftly scrambled into his lap.

He jumped in surprise and his green eyes shot open, staring at her in question and she made herself comfortable, burrowing into his chest and stomach and soaking up his warmth.

He relaxed again when she was done moving, resting a hand on her slender back and stroking her hair as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kairi was still asleep as the cabin door creaked open. Ansem heard the noise and turned slowly so as not to wake her up. He watched as Cloud slid quietly into the room and latched the door behind him again. 

The blonde seemed completely unfazed at the sight of the girl asleep in his former king's lap. In the short time that he had known her, he couldn't help but get somewhat attached, he supposed they all did. There was something about Kairi that attracted all sorts of attention. It made him feel a bit more confident and secure about what he was about to do seeing that Kairi was so trusting in the former Heartless King.

Ansem continued to stroke Kairi's hair as Cloud walked over to the bed and seated himself beside Ansem.

"Ansem." he said quietly, nodding a greeting.

Ansem lifted his chin a little, an old habit from his younger days. "Strife. What brings you here? Is it about Sephiroth?" He knew that Sephiroth and Cloud had been more or less rivals, the general had always been impressed with the young blonde's progress, and in turn Cloud had strived to be more like Sephiroth.

However, the mercenary shook his head. "No, actually, I just wanted to talk. It's.. good to have you back with us." He seemed very uncomfortable, it had been years since the two men had really spoken, and even then, Cloud had not even been an adult. After the years of anguish after Hollow Bastion's fall, Ansem supposed Cloud held on to the links to his past lifestyle.

The two men sat in relative silence and just watched Kairi sleep. She fidgeted in her sleep and Ansem's hand tightened to hold her closer. Cloud watched the way Ansem looked at her, and leaned forward to gently run his own fingers through the girl's deep auburn hair.

"Is she the reason you've come back to us? The special one you thought Ame was?" He asked bravely, looking up to Ansem's face and nearly shuddering at the eerie familiarity of the green eyes.

"Yes, I suppose she really is. She's absolutely remarkable. She used her keyblade and saved me from the Heartless, and I don't think she even knows how she did it." His voice was soft, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Cloud smiled behind the crimson fabric of his cape. "Good, keep her safe for us." He said quietly as he rose and made his way back out the door.

* * *

A/n: I'll try to update soonish. I didn't mean for this update to take so long, but my internet was down for some retarded reason. And yea, my kitten just tried to molest me... 


	29. Double Date

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Squaresoft.

Yay! The story is getting close to done! Art coming soonish, too. I'll give out a link to my Deviant Art account when I get the stuff scanned. I'll post the links in my author profile before I put it in the next chapter, so feel free to check next week or so for something.

I can't believe this story got so many reviews. I will now reply to some of them.

**DarkCatriona:** I really like that kind of review, they really help me think more deeply about my writing as I progress the story. Thank you.

**Demonslayer:** hehe, installment. I love that word.

**Gerbil X:** I understand, it almost killed me to not have any fluff in there, but I didn't feel it was appropriate in the atmosphere I was trying for. I will try to make it up to you now. I heart your spirited reviews, too. Plus, my kitten tried to bite my face while I was typing and missed, landing unceremoniously in my lap. Thus, the molestation.

**Desolator:** I will try my hardest to get better!

**DragonQueen:** You haven't reviewed this chapter but I liked your last review enough to respond to it here.

And to everybody else, I would say something to you too, but I want to get right into the story.

* * *

**Chapter 29**

* * *

It was nearly midnight by the time the gummi ship landed on the packed sand of the Destiny Islands. Selphie had decided that she and Tidus had no interest in going halfway across the universe to some abandoned castle just for a few books, and had demanded to be dropped off at home. And Cid, being the kind hearted old man that he was, had heartily agreed to the plan, nearly desperate to get the spastic brunette out of his ship. 

The jolt of the ship landing woke Ansem from his sleep. Not realizing where he was, he nearly jumped up, stopping only when he noticed Kairi still sleeping against him. He slowly relaxed back against the bed and stared at the ceiling as Kairi yawned and rolled over.

She sat up and looked around in interest, noticing that Arashi had fallen asleep on the second bed. She was nearly falling off with one hand touching the floor.

"The engines are stopped.." Kairi mumbled sleepily, looking over her shoulder at Ansem in question.

She slid off the bed and wandered to the window in curiosity, knowing that it would take much longer to reach Hollow Bastion. All she saw was darkness. Just then the door was pushed open, and Riku stepped in. He almost looked surprised to see Kairi awake, but smiled anyway.

"We're staying here for the night, so you guys can go back to sleep or wander around if you want. Everyone who wants to go on to Hollow Bastion is meeting back at Squall's place tomorrow morning, that way we can grab some food and shower and stuff before leaving." He said quietly. He looked like he wanted to leave, but shifted in the doorway and slipped in towards Arashi.

Kairi watched in amusement as he knelt beside her and lifted her face toward him. She stirred sleepily and he moved her arm back onto the bed. After a moment she mumbled something quietly and he laughed, taking her up into his arms and lifting her off the bed. He moved slowly back out the door with her.

Kairi stared at where they had been for a while before she stretched and moved toward the door herself. "I'm going for a walk, you coming?" She looked back at Ansem and smiled.

He stared at her in disbelief before he was finally able to take in the situation, quickly standing and following her lead.

As Kairi walked past the aisle of seats before the cockpit, she felt a hand reach out and grab hers. She jumped slightly before she realized that it was Sora. "Kairi, can I talk to you?" He whispered, wide blue eyes gazing up at her sadly.

"Um, yea, Sora." She looked over her shoulder toward Ansem before she took the seat beside him.

Ansem followed Riku out of the gummi ship, closing the heavy door behind him. She knew he wouldn't stray too far without her.

"What's wrong?' She asked stupidly, of course she knew what was wrong. But for some reason it always seemed better to ask what was wrong than to ask why it was wrong.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward, bringing them closer. He watched her momentarily before reaching a hand up and stroking her soft auburn hair. He moved forward quickly and she thought for a moment that he was going to try to kiss her, but the thought quickly vanished as he pressed his face into her shoulder in a tight hug.

She hesitated before wrapping her slender arms around his shoulders. It felt awkward, because she knew he loved her, but he was still her best friend, and she was hurting him.

"Sora, I know that-"

"You're happy, right?" He interrupted, not looking up.

Kairi's breath caught in her throat. "Yes, I guess I am.." She gulped.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy." He nearly whimpered, hugging her tighter.

"Sora, it wasn't that you couldn't make me happy.."

"I love you."

"What?"

"Please don't forget that. And please don't let this push me away from you." He said quietly.

She pushed him just enough that he sat back and she could look into his eyes. He stared back at her for a moment, finally taking the opportunity to run his fingers through her hair again. She closed her eyes in contemplation, gasping in surprise when she felt his lips press against hers. Her eyes flew open and she pushed him back again. She couldn't quite think of what to say as she watched him lower his gaze to the floor.

"Sora.. I'm so sorry.." She shook her head in apology as she stood, quickly sliding out the door.

* * *

The brisk ocean air blew gently across the beach as Ansem stepped out of the ship, closing the door behind him. He closed his eyes to take in the relaxing atmosphere. He still didn't have any shoes on, and opened his eyes again to look down at the soft sand under his bare feet.

Laughter further up the beach alerted him, and he glanced up in time to see Arashi jump on Riku, nearly knocking them both into the sand.

The sight of her made him hold his breath in surprise, all his old memories rushing back at once. He had watched the Heartless take her, had commanded it, actually. She had been much younger, it pleased him to see her so alive and happy. He continued to watch her as she danced across the sand with the silver-haired boy. There was obviously more there than they had wanted anyone to know.

Her laughter slowly died down, and Ansem watched contentedly as their silhouettes stopped in the surf, hands entwining slowly. He couldn't help but feel protective as he watched Riku lean down toward her, whispering in her ear before he brushed his lips over her cheek. The laughter began again, Riku's joining in as she shoved him playfully and ran down the beach. When he didn't pursue, she skidded to a stop and did some kind of victory dance in the dry sand, lingering there for a moment before dashing away again as he ran to catch her. Ansem nearly smiled to himself, watching the two chase each other down the beach before collapsing in a heap in the sand.

He turned as he heard the door open and close, Kairi slipping out into the dim moonlight. He turned back to watch the two down the beach again as she moved beside him, gently taking his hand and leaning her head against his upper arm. She sighed sadly, tightening her grip on his hand. He looked down at her in question, realizing her sadness when he remembered that she had finished talking to Sora.

Feeling energetic from the brief sleep he got, Ansem felt obligated to help keep her mind off of Sora. Leaning down he kissed the tip of her ear before wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her off the ground. She yelped lightly as he put his other arm under her legs, carrying her gently down the beach toward Riku and Arashi.

She nuzzled his chest and watched the dark ocean as he moved, closing her eyes in contentment. It didn't take long for them to reach the others, and she looked down at Riku, blushing lightly at the realization that he knew about them. Arashi, being the newest member of the group, was completely unfazed by their appearance. She smiled happily at Kairi, despite the pain stinging her heart at the memory of her older sister in the same position as this younger girl.

Ansem simply set her down in the sand beside her silver-haired friend. He knelt beside her for a moment, watching Arashi with interest.

"Arashi, I never thought I would see you again." he said quietly.

She smiled softly at him, happy to have the familiar connection to her past. Without warning, she leapt forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I knew it wasn't you, I always knew they made you do things. No one believed me, but they will now, right?" She whispered.

He hugged her back. "I hope so.." He replied, looking over at Kairi.

* * *

There was a dull morning mist hanging over the beach when Kairi awoke. The sun barely visible on the skyline.She smiled to herself, remembering the many times she used to stay out all night with Riku and Sora and just sleep on the beach like her mother told her not to. It was never cold at night, the perfect temperature, actually. She rolled over to face Ansem, whose arm was wrapped protectively around her stomach. She leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek, squirming as he tickled her ribs in response.

He slowly opened his eyes, gazing down at her as she struggled out from under his arm.

He laughed quietly at her, leaning down and kissing her gently. She stopped struggling and settled down into the kiss, lips parting as tongues slid together. She reached up and gripped his shirt tightly, bringing him closer to her as she leaned in, deepening the kiss.

They pulled apart as they heard Riku calling out to them from down the beach. Kairi giggled. "I think we're supposed to be ready to go." She sat up and brushed the sand off of herself, looking around at her home.

"I'm gonna miss this place.." She said quietly. Before Ansem could reply, she grabbed his hand and yanked him up, making him stumble to his feet in an attempt to keep up with her. She hugged him quickly before pulling him back down the beach.

Sora, Riku, and Arashi were already at the gummi ship, waiting for Squall and the others to show up. Kairi was happy to see Sora and Riku wrestling around in the sand, acting like they had so long ago before the Heartless. Arashi was seated contentedly on the metal steps to the gummi ship, watching the two boys with a small smile.

"Hey, Kairi, Ansem!" The dark-haired girl sang out, waving lightly when she saw them coming. Sora and Riku released each other and scrambled to their feet, sand covering Sora and falling out of his hair.

"What the fuck have you kids been up to out here? Unsupervised and all over my gad-damned ship!" Cid yelled, walking around the front of the gummi ship and putting out his cigarette. He crossed his arms and stared around at the group, almost looking like he expected an explanation.

The group simply exchanged glances before Riku replied, "Ansem isn't exactly a kid.." He decided against suggesting that none of them were really what he qualified as "kids".

"The fuck he's not.." The older man mumbled, swinging open the heavy door and climbing into the ship. "You'd better be ready to go, Squall's gonna be here with the others and we're leaving!" He called out the door before he disappeared inside.

Riku grinned, taking Arashi's hand and leading her back into the ship. Sora gave Kairi a weak smile and followed his best friend. Ansem moved to go in as well, but Kairi stopped him.

"Um, would you, take me home real quick?" She asked quietly, motioning back towards the town.

"Of course." he replied, taking her hand and walking toward the nearest road.

It didn't take them long to reach her house, and they stood in the front lawn for a moment before Kairi built up the courage to step up to the front door and ease it open. Almost immediately she released Ansem's hand, watching the front hall as she entered her house.

"Kairi!" her mother yelped, poking her head around the kitchen doorframe into the hall. "Where were you? I was worried!" She wiped her hands on the towel she was holding and ran to hug her daughter.

Staring past her shoulder at Ansem, she finally stepped up to him, examining him rather closely. "Where'd you did this one up at?" She said almost crudely, giving her daughter a smart-assed look before turning back to the tall white-haired man standing in her entrance hall.

Ansem stood up straight, extending one hand to the woman. " I am Ansem, scholar and former King of Hollow Bastion." he said impressively.

Kairi's mother gave him an astonished smile and shook his hand.

"You're getting better, nice catch." She poked her daughter in the side as she walked past her again toward the kitchen. "You kids look hassled, want some food?" She asked before she disappeared around the corner again.

"Yea, mom, that would be nice." Kairi called back.

She took Ansem's hand again and lead him to the stairs, climbing them quickly and heading straight for her bedroom. She found the bag she had left at Selphie's house on her bed, apparently she had brought it over after they had left with Arashi. She picked it up, shoving in some odd clothing and different things she thought she might need. If she was going to stay in Hollow Bastion for a few days, she was taking her own clothing for once.

She finished quickly and slung the bag over her shoulder, dragging Ansem back down the stairs with her and into the kitchen.

Her mother was just finishing up some sandwiches and put them in a bag along with a couple sodas. "I'm assuming you won't be staying long." She smiled almost sadly at her daughter, handing her the bag.

"Thanks, mom. I'll be back home in a couple days, I promise! I gotta go, take care!" She called back to the older woman as she pushed Ansem back into the hall and out the front door.

"Will you at least tell me where you're going!" Her mother called out in exasperation.

"Hollow Bastion! To help Sora and Ansem with some problems! I'll be good, I promise!" She smiled wickedly and waved at the older woman.

"Okay, honey! Be careful! Use protection!" Her mother called out from the doorstep, hands cupped around her mouth.

Kairi nearly stopped dead in her tracks, face burning from her mother's last statement. '_A little late.._' She thought in embarrassment as Ansem laughed quietly.

* * *

A/n: Sorry the chapter was short, but at least it was a quick update! Just for you guys. I'm trying to bring back the original vitality the story seemed to have, but some things needed restored first. Long process, I see my writing as a form of art, and a rather crappy one in my opinion. Sadness. Please review. 


	30. And the plot thickens

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Squaresoft.**

Just finished turning 17, and I'm quite tipsy, so I don't know if this is a good time for me to try to write. But I feel really bad that you guys are such loyal readers and I'm so slow at updating for you. I know how annoying it can be waiting for the newest chapter of a story you're getting into.

…> Would be Heartless speaking.

'…' Would be Ansem's thoughts.

To spice things up, here's another side of Ansem for you.

* * *

The sun was beginning to reach its peak as Sora walked through the warm sands of his beloved beach. The cool wind blew the scent of saltwater along his skin, and he moved his face into the breeze in habit. It was then that he noticed the dark silhouette beside a palm tree near the water. Of course it was easy to tell that it was Squall, hair blowing softly and Gunblade sticking crookedly out of the sand before him. He seemed to radiate a kind of shield around himself, warding off unwanted company. But Sora, used to such behavior from Riku, approached him unaffected. 

"She'll be alright, you know..?" he said gently, not facing the man out of respect for his forced privacy. He received a glare in return, though softer than his usual responses, so Sora continued. "I know she can take care of herself, and I don't think Sephiroth would of taken her if he didn't need her for something. I mean, why not take Kairi? She.. Well you know. But anyway, I think he needed Yuffie's skills for something. We'll definitely see her again." He rested a hand on Squall's shoulder in reassurance before he turned and left the man in peace again.

Once the brunet had left him alone, Squall rose to his feet and stared out at the ocean. There was an unfamiliar tearing at his heart, but he knew well enough what it was. With a grunt of frustration, he slammed his foot into the sand, sending it everywhere. He picked up the Gunblade beside his foot and slung it over his shoulder. After another moment of watching the ocean creep steadily toward him, he turned and began walking back the way Sora had gone.

Glancing ahead, he could see the rest of the group lounging around on a stretch of grass. He stopped just inside the line of palm trees, watching them from the shade. He knew Cloud had noticed him there, but he looked away from him. He obviously wasn't feeling like socializing, so the blonde was willing to respect that.

Sora smiled to himself when he noticed that Squall had followed him back. Now everyone was ready to go but two, Kairi and Ansem were still missing. His smile faded when he thought of them. She had lied to him. He knew that now. It was Ansem that had taken her away from him, and leaving him for his enemy must have been one of the worst things she could have done to him. He was glad that she was happy, though. She had seemed a bit depressed before, even with the three of them back together, and all their friends living on Destiny Islands with them. When she thought no one was watching her, she had always looked like she knew something was wrong, but didn't want to worry anyone else. He had hated that about her, she always used to tell him everything, now he could barely get her to talk to him. He had only ever wanted to be close to her..

"Sora? Did you hear me?" He shook his head and looked up to find Riku standing a few feet in front of him. Looking past him, he saw that everyone else had left.

Riku laughed and smacked the side of his friend's head playfully. "I said we're leaving soon, I'm gonna go find Kairi, okay?" He gave the brunet a weird look as he nodded weakly in reply.

He watched as Riku turned and began walking down the street, the bright sunlight catching his hair beautifully. Everything seemed so peaceful. 'Must be something bad about to happen..' Sora thought darkly to himself. Things in his life were rarely peaceful.

He didn't notice Arashi walking up behind him until she spoke. "Ansem's not a bad person, you know." She said simply.

Sora jumped and turned to face her. She stared back at him with her bright green eyes, the wind through her hair the only movement. Her skin was so pale, she looked like death to him. So dark, but very beautiful, with her long ebony hair flowing along her shoulders.

"He's not evil. He may have done some terrible things, but he's not evil. The darkness can make you do thing. It make Riku do things, too. It takes over the heart, feeds on the emptiness. Because there's darkness in every heart, even yours. It just needs the room to grow." She gave him a small smile before taking his hand and leading him to the ship.

He watched Riku as he disappeared up the street, silver hair still shining. Maybe she was right. The darkness just got a better hold on Ansem. His exposure to the Heartless might have helped it along, too. But no one could really be sure, could they?

* * *

A dull thud sounded throughout the main cabin of the gummi ship. The shock of the noise woke Ansem, who was sleeping restlessly in a soft chair to the left of the walkway. Looking up, he noticed Tidus's dark shape picking himself up off the floor where he had landed. 

"Sorry.. Didn't mean to.." He yawned, crawling back into his chair. He was snoring again in minutes, but Ansem was now wide awake.

He looked toward the clock above the ship's controls, 2:46 A.M. Standard Destiny Islands time. He still wasn't used to the slight time change, it only felt like ten o'clock to him.

He must have been sitting like that for an hour, just staring at the darkness around him and listening to the quiet sounds around him. Sleep was finally beginning to get a hold on him, and he closed his eyes, hoping that it would come quickly. It was then that he noticed the faint scratching sound.

Sitting up further, Ansem gazed around the cabin, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. He couldn't hear where it was coming from, but it was definitely getting louder. Wanting to cover his ears from the horrible sound, he stood. Nothing in sight, just the sleeping forms around him and the small light reading 'auto-pilot' near the clock. Spinning around, the noise followed him, the scratching seeming to slide across metal.

Panic slowly began to well up inside him, and he brought his hands to his ears in frustration. His eyes widened at what he heard, the scratching was coming from inside his own head. The realization made his blood run cold.

_Ansem…> _

The scratching stopped, leaving the cabin eerily quiet, not even the sound of the others sleeping could be heard. Ansem looked around the ship in fear. _'Not here, please, not here..' he begged silently._

_Did you really think you were free to go? >_

_'_What do you want with me then? What use am I to you now?'

_You are one of us, you always will be. >_

_'_I'm not one of you! I never wanted to be! I only created you, I didn't want to become you!'

_These are things you cannot ignore, Ansem. You were Heartless the day you killed them all. Don't you remember Hollow Bastion? You laughed with us. >_

_'_No.. You made me do it. I never wanted to hurt them, they were my people. They came first, you were only research!'

_You may tell yourself whatever you wish, but you belong with us. You belong to us. You don't have any place helping these people, come back to us. >_

'I belong with Kairi, I'll never go back to you!'

_You don't have a choice, Ansem, you will rejoin us, or you will die. You cannot survive in the Light, you've been infected with Darkness.>_

'Kairi has the power to reverse it, I don't have to carry this!'

_A Keyblade can only hold so much power. Don't drown yourself in such delusions. If you get too close to her, she will be drawn in as well. She will bring herself to us. Can you not see it? If you stay where you do not belong, you will bring death to them all. >_

'If I go to you it will bring them all death! You think I don't understand what you're doing? At least as myself there is a chance of saving them from darkness!'

_ANSEM. You misunderstand…>_

The chill in the deep breathy voice pricked down his spine, causing him to shudder. A sharp pain exploded in his chest, making him cry out in surprise and pain.

"No.. What's happening..?" he begged the empty air, gripping his chest in agony.

Another sharp sting of pain wracked his body and he fell to the ground, blood staining his bare hands and dripping onto the floor. He ground his teeth to keep from screaming in pain as the agonizing sting ripped it's way down his chest into a horrifyingly familiar shape.

After what seemed like hours of pain, it subsided and Ansem crouched in his own blood, panting from the strain. He rolled shakily onto his back and stared at the ceiling, watching absently as dark figures closed around him. His eye's slid closed as he heard voices around him, some calling his name, others cursing.

_You will both return to us. It's time for the revolution of the Heartless in this World. >_

'Both..? Who else do you…'

He didn't have time to finish as the lights were flicked on and the dark shapes became the familiar faces of his new 'friends'. He could see Cid in the background, hand to his forehead, muttering every curse word he knew to the air. Tidus and Wakka stood closer, leaning over to look down at him, and Sora knelt suspiciously by his side with Keyblade in hand.

"What's going on, Ansem? What the hell just happened!" He growled, motioning toward the blood covering an area of floor around him. "I swear to god, if you-!" He was cut short by a shrill scream from down the hall.

A door burst open and Kairi rushed out in panic. "Ansem! Riku! He..!" She stopped in her tracks when she realized that he was now sitting his a puddle of blood, holding a shaky hand over his wounded chest. She clasped her hands to her mouth, eyes widening in horror.

"No, you too.. Oh god, what's happening?" She dropped to her knees, tears beginning to sting her eyes.

Ansem pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the loss of blood. He moved past Kairi to find Riku. The silver-haired young man was laying on his side against a wall, with Aerith and Arashi leaning over him in horror.

"..Riku. Are you alright?" He almost felt relieved, knowing that he wasn't the only one that jut had to experience the touch of the Heartless. But it also made him rather sad, no one should have to go through such a life as this..

He crouched next to the younger man, who was holding both hands against his chest and shaking.

His aquamarine eyes snapped open at Ansem's touch. "They spoke to me.. Told me.. I was infected by darkness. They said I have to go to them." His voice wavered and he choked.

"Don't listen to them, they live in a warped reality." He tried to reassure him, holding his shoulder tightly.

"He's lost a lot of blood…" Arashi said quietly, trying not to show that she was about to cry.

Ansem looked over to Aerith, "You know how to help him.." She nodded solemnly. He stood and walked back out to the front of the ship, pausing in the walk way to kneel beside Kairi's shocked form.

"Everything is going to be alright." he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her to her feet.

She swayed for a moment, looked up into his eyes, and shoved him away. He watched in confusion as she turned around and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. The faint sounds of wrenching could be heard through the door, and Ansem signed.

"What the hell is going on? What did you do to her?" Sora demanded standing up and striding purposefully toward Ansem, who was still watching the bathroom door.

A deep, fiery anger built up inside him, and before he could stop himself, he reached out for Sora's advancing form, faster than anyone could anticipate. He had his strong hand wrapped clean around the boy's throat before he could react, lifting him none to gently from the floor, so only the tips of his toes brushed the carpet. A shocked gasp echoed around the room, as Tidus and Wakka tensed, and Cid looked up in interest.

"Sora. I didn't do anything to Kairi, and given the situation, I have more reason to think that you may have upset her. I'm getting rather tired of your behavior toward me, so this is how it is; I don't particularly like you, I don't need your help in whatever it is I need to do, and if you insist on not trusting me, then please keep it to yourself. In the mean time I request two things of you, you will treat me with as much respect as anyone else, and you will grow up."

Ansem dropped him back down and strode past him to take a seat near the front of the ship again. Placing his head in his hands, he tried to relax and think. There had to be a way to protect himself and Riku from the threat of the Heartless.

To his left he could hear Sora shuffled back to his own seat. He could practically feel the brunet's eyes bore into him in anger, and he heard Cid chuckle to himself before opening up a first-aide kit and handing it to Ansem.

The blonde man took a seat beside him as Ansem dug through the box, pulling off his shirt to examine the bloody Heartless symbol ripped into his flesh. Cid handed him a damp towel, and he quickly began cleaning his wound.

"So what the hell just happened anyway?" Cid asked, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"The Heartless are becoming more powerful, they seem to think that anyone once touched by them is obligated to return to help them fight us. That was merely a demonstration of the power they hold over people that have been 'infected'." Ansem grimaced in pain as his wound began to sting from the irritation.

Cid nodded understandingly before laughing quietly to himself. "Ya know, there have been times when I wanted to do that to the damn kid myself. You'd make a great father." He laughed openly now, receiving a confused look from Ansem and a glare from Sora.

"So." He stated once he was done laughing. "What do you think the plan should be?" He put his hands behind his head and relaxed back into the chair, placing his unlit cigarette back into his mouth.

Ansem thought for a moment. They were returning to Hollow Bastion, there were quite a few things they needed done. "Well, training is definitely important, everyone should train in preparation of whatever the Heartless and Sephiroth bring next. But we also need to find out where Sephiroth is hiding, and what he's done with Yuffie. I suppose we should just prepare ourselves, and I will research the Hollow Bastion libraries and try to find some kind of clue as to where he's gone."

Cid nodded again, "Sounds good. I'll see how I can fix this old bucket up for battle." He grunted, "Speaking of which, we've gotta be getting close to Hollow Bastion." He stood and walked to the controls, checking them.

Ansem turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening, watching as Kairi walked down the aisle to sit next to him.

"I'm sorry, I just felt really sick all of the sudden. Everything is getting really complicated." She whispered, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around her thin legs.

She watched as he finished cleaning the torn skin and applied bandages. "You sure do get beat up by the Heartless a lot.." She said quietly. "Why do they push you around so much?"

He turned to look into her soft blue eyes. "Because I was the most powerful, and now I am no longer one of them."

The look in his eyes almost made her shudder, they were so pained and hollow. Like a beaten dog, he was getting tired of it all, she knew that now. And why not? All his life has been about since the fall of Hollow Bastion was pain. She paused for a moment before leaning over and kissing his shoulder gently. He looked down at her and smiled.He sincerely hoped that she could protect him for the Heartless

But what if they were right, and the Keyblade of Light only had so much power? What if it's effects were temporary? What would he do then? She couldn't protect him forever. But he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she could…

* * *

A/n: Sorry this was really late too, I had a lot to catch up on since it's summer now. Sorry I haven't finished with the art yet, too. I have a couple I need to put up, actually. 


	31. Into the Darkness

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

This chapter was almost finished when my computer died, so I lost the file. Here's the new version. I like it better, actually. I'm listening to music, so it might have a different feel. Dimmu Borgir, if anyone's interested.

Yea! The story's really getting there!

* * *

They arrived at Rising Falls just after noon. It was a beautiful day, the golden clouds floating casually along the horizon. Kairi watched from the bottom of the falls as everyone slowly made their way up to the castle. She wasn't feeling in much of a social mood, really hoping to just avoid as many of her friends as she could. Taking her small bag from her seat, she walked slowly out of the gummi ship and sat down behind it, where she thought no one would see her. Taking a thick book from her bag, she flipped it open to a designated page and began to read. She hadn't been reading long when a voice from behind her made her jump.

"Romeo and Juliet? And here I was thinking you'd skip that one and read something more like Julius Caesar." She looked up in surprise as Ansem sat down beside her and picked up the book she had dropped. "I'm really glad you like it enough to read it though." He said, lowering his voice as though someone was listening. She smiled at him in reply.

"What's wrong?" He asked seriously, handing the book back to her.

She shrugged. "I just don't feel too great. I'm pretty tired and stressed out, actually." She looked at him sadly and stood. "We should head back up to the castle, don't you think?" She smiled cheerfully, but she knew there would be no fooling Ansem.

"Yes, we should set up some plan to get everyone dinner." He replied, trying to shove aside his worry. If she didn't want him to know she was upset, he wouldn't push her.

She smiled brightly and turned to begin the long walk up to the castle.

"Kairi," Ansem called softly. She turned to look back at him, smile fading. "Do you want me to carry you?" She laughed, shaking her head. She was about to turn and keep walking when she caught the look on his face, he was completely serious.

"What? You'd carry me all the way up there? That's sweet, but I can't ask you to do that.." She stopped and stared at him. He smirked at her, and she turned away playfully to continue her trek up the falls.

"It really wouldn't be that difficult.." He whispered in her ear. She turned tell him to stop it when she realized that he was floating beside her. She yelped and blinked in surprise. She had totally forgotten that Ansem could fly.

He grinned happily. "Come on, I'll be careful." He knew she hated heights from their first encounter at Hollow Bastion. But before she could deny his offer, he had lifted her from the ground and began a graceful arch up toward the castle.

Kairi didn't complain, but she had a death grip around his neck. Her eyes were fixed on his shirt, and she refused to look down. Ansem thought it was so much fun that instead of setting her down before the main hall, he flew upward around the castle instead. She yelped in fright when she realized what he was doing, and buried her face in his chest so she wouldn't have to watch. He spiraled around the castle happily until the topmost spire was far below them. He stopped then, gazing down at the castle in wonder. He'd never really seen it that way before, it was pretty amazing.

"Kairi, look." He whispered. She couldn't believe it, but she actually felt herself lean back and open her eyes to stare down at the ocean and castle far below them. Her heart was beating so fast and loud she was sure she was going to go deaf soon.

"You trust me, don't you?" He rested his cheek against the top of her head, hugging her gently. She took a deep breath. "Of course I do." She replied, closing her eyes again as she felt them begin to descend.

After a few minutes, she felt cold, as though they were in the shade. She opened her eyes to see the castle walls around them, they were entering Lift Stop on their way back down. Another door and she saw the Castle Chapel before them. It was dark inside, there were no lights or candles to light it up. Ansem gently set her back on her feet and moved past her into the chapel. She rushed forward and took his hand.

It was eerily quiet inside. Their footsteps seemed to echo endlessly off the thick, dark walls around them. Ansem lead her to a small chest hidden against the altar. Taking a candle from it, he lit it and placed it on the altar.

"I know you like your peace and quiet, so you can read some more here and rest a bit if you like. I won't tell anyone where you are if you don't want me to." She smiled up at him. "Thanks.." She could feel herself blushing, but she knew it was too dark for him to be able to see it. He nodded and turned to go, but she grabbed his hand again to stop him.

"Tell me exactly what happened last night before you go. Maybe I can help.." She looked up at him so hopefully, he couldn't help himself.

"All right." He sat on the floor beside her and began.

* * *

It was getting late, and everyone had gathered in the dining hall for dinner. Kairi had wandered back down an hour earlier to help set up, and Ansem was thankful to see that she was smiling and laughing along with Selphie and Arashi. The meal was basically over, and to everyone's relief, no food fights had begun between the boys. Squall and Cloud got up and left after thanking the girls for the meal. Riku rose to follow them, but Ansem called out across the table.

"Riku, can I talk to you?" he stood casually but purposefully, gazing across at the young man. The room went silent. Kairi shifted nervously in her seat, Ansem had never said anything to her about talking to Riku. Maybe it was nothing important..

Regardless of the reaction of the others, Riku nodded and walked around the table to follow Ansem out the door.

Sora, Wakka, and Tidus started joking around then, and Aerith shooed them out of her way as she began to clean up. Seeming disgruntled, the three boys quickly disappeared., leaving the girls all alone.

"Sooo, Kairi. Tell us about Ansem!" Selphie appeared to jump at the opportunity to harass one of her best friends without the boys around. Arashi quickly joined in as well. "Yeah! How'd you two wind up together?" She asked excitedly.

"Uh, I didn't know everyone knew about us…" She grumbled, leaning back as if afraid of her two friends.

"How could we not know? It's totally obvious. Besides, Riku knew. You told him!" Arashi said. Kairi blushed darkly, hadn't he said he wouldn't tell anyone? What a jerk..

"Wow, way back when everyone still lived here, it was pretty difficult to catch Ansem's attention. He was really into studying his research. The only reason he ever took up an interest in my sister Ame was because they had known each other all their lives. They were best friends. I'm sure he never would have thought twice about her otherwise." She mused, seemingly lost in her memories.

The three were silent for a moment as Arashi thought about it and Kairi tried to think of how to get away from them. Just then she watched Aerith walk by with some dished. "Oh, hey. I'm gonna help Aerith clean up." she said quickly as she slid away from them.

"Heeeey.." Selphie whined after her, not daring to follow.

* * *

Ansem lead Riku into an old unused room he knew no one would overhear them in and locked the door. "This is about the Heartless thing, isn't it?" Riku asked right away. He was feeling more comfortable with Ansem, but not this comfortable.

"Yes, you've been thinking about it. What do you think?" Ansem asked him quietly.

Riku thought for a moment, but it was hard to focus with the musty scent of misuse and death hanging around them. "I think it has a lot to do with Kairi and her keyblade. They told me that I was part of the Heartless, and it reminded me of Arashi. She was more Heartless than I was, why didn't they talk to her? Then I remembered the first time I saw her, Kairi had "purified" her or something with her keyblade. So does this mean Arashi truly isn't Heartless anymore?" He looked up at the older man.

"Excellent, Riku, those were my thoughts exactly." He brought a hand to his jaw in thought. "I think Kairi did "purify" Arashi in a sense, I think she was so new to her keyblade, she didn't know what she was doing, and over-dosed Arashi with light. I think that's why she lost consciousness when it happened, too. It was too much, almost too much for her body. It just ripped the Heartless out of her. Though, I do not believe that Arashi was more Heartless than you. She became one, true, but it is much deeper in you. I don't know if Kairi can help you to get rid of it, but I am sure that she can weaken it enough to protect you from them." He lost himself in thought and Riku shifted nervously.

"But that's not what you have planned, is it?" He said, almost typically.

Ansem grinned, "You know me well, Riku. Of course I've considered using this to our advantage. I believe we could, too. If you were to rejoin the Heartless undercover, I think you could not only find Sephiroth's lair, but you could help us discover his weaknesses."

"Whoa, you want me to willingly join the Heartless? To get closer to Sephiroth? Isn't that a bitdangerous?"

"Yes, it would be extremely dangerous, but I'm sure you could do it. I would try it myself, but I would be seen through in a moment. Sephiroth knows me too well."

"But wouldn't I just be taken in by the Heartless? I wouldn't really have a choice, would I?" He sounded worried, but eager. Ansem knew he was seriously considering the plan.

"You have gotten much more powerful, I don't believe they could take you in so easily. You must choose to be taken over by darkness. Though, if you do this, I will not be able to help you. If the Heartless discover our plan, they will tell Sephiroth and he will kill you. But I do believe that you could trick them, they can't read you like they can me. Will you try it?" Ansem asked hopefully, this could be their only shot at defeating Sephiroth.

"Yea, I'll do it. But.. Don't let Arashi worry. I know you can't tell her what's going on, but let her know I'll be okay." Riku said calmly, already thinking of how to approach the situation.

"You know what to do already, don't you? You must make it believable. Even if that means hurting one of us. But if it comes to that, attack me. That would show Sephiroth that we do not see eye to eye." Ansem suggested, his voice even lower than before.

Riku nodded, "I know. Just don't let it get too far. If I get out of control, you can stop me, can't you?"

"Yes, I'll stop you if you can't handle it. Good luck. I'm counting on you." He held out his hand for Riku to shake, and to his surprise, the boy actually took it and smiled. "Don't worry about me." He said before unlocking the door and leaving Ansem alone in the darkness.

* * *

It had been almost two weeks since Riku and Ansem had last spoken to each other. Riku was slowly distancing himself from Sora and Kairi, much to everyone's surprise. Kairi watched from across the hall as Sora regained his balance from her last attack.

"You're getting pretty good, Kairi." He huffed, balancing himself again and rushing at her. She easily sidestepped his attack and slapped him across the back with Oathkeeper, sending him sprawling on the floor.

She glanced up lazily and continued watching Riku glare at them from the other side of the hall.

"Whoo! Way to go Kairi! Kick his ass!" Selphie called from her seat on the floor beside Aerith and Cloud.

"She's gotten unusually good very quickly." Cloud observed, looking over to Aerith. "It's almost unsettling, isn't it?" he said quietly.

Aerith nodded. "It's as though this is what she was born to do. And it's fairly ironic, I mean, she was terrible at the beginning." She couldn't suppress a giggle at the memories.

"Sora, what's wrong with Riku?" Kairi whispered as he stumbled past her.

"Huh? Oh. I dunno, maybe he hates it here or something. He hasn't been acting that funny, has he?" He replied, trying to come up with an attack she wouldn't expect.

"Sora, he's glaring at us. Something's up. And where has he been disappearing to lately? Have you noticed that? I don't trust it. He's our best friend and all, but he's acting pretty suspicious." She pouted over at him, but he took no notice. She dodged quickly out of the way of Sora's attack combo, tripping him neatly as she went.

He fell heavily and pouted back at her.

"I mean- ah!" She leapt back as Sora bounced to his feet and struck out at her, nearly knocking her off balance, then swinging back around for a follow-up attack. She tried to focus on him, but her brain felt so fuzzy, she swayed to the side. Ducking clumsily, she tried to bring her keyblade up, but felt a deep wave of nausea hit her. Sora's eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going to stop him, and had to kick his keyblade back before he accidentally hit her with it. It landed several feet away and he crouched beside her in worry.

"Are you okay? Kairi? Geez, you look.." He didn't bother finishing as she leaned over and threw up on the floor. "I think that's enough training for today.." he said lamely as he helped her to her feet and Arashi and Selphie ran over to help.

* * *

Riku watched sadly from the other side of the room. He wished he could go help her, but he had to keep his distance. Not even Arashi would come over to him, he felt so left out. Sliding from the railing he was perched on, he crept silently from the room. He needed to get out of here, he had work to do. It didn't take him long to reach the Castle Chapel, and he continued through the doors he knew would lead him to his destination.

The hall was absolutely deserted when he entered. It looked at though no one had used it in quite some time. He checked to make sure he was alone before approaching the Dark Depths. Checking again to make sure no one was around, he stepped inside. The darkness wrapped itself around him. It reached out to embrace his form, in a way he found to be disturbingly loving.

_'Riku..'_

That familiar nearly nonexistent voice called out from within the darkness, beckoning for him to come further in. He obeyed, walking slowly through the thick blackness.

_'Come back to us, Riku..'_

He closed his eyes. It was so comfortable. Nothing frightening or foreboding about this place. After all, he belonged here, didn't he?

_'Yes.. Riku. We're waiting for you.'_

He thought he felt a presence near him, so he opened his eyes. Sephiroth stood before him, frowning slightly, and apparently studying him. He knew he should have been startled, or afraid at least, but he felt nothing.

Sephiroth reached out and took Riku's jaw in his hand, moving his face from side to side. He smirked then, apparently pleased with what he saw.

* * *

**A/n:** Short chapter, I know. But I really wanted to update while I have a computer I can use. I might update later this week, I'm not sure. Maybe tomorrow, maybe later tonight, I'm in a writing mood. 


	32. Whereabouts

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Square-Enix.

I'm pretty eager to finish this story, especially with school starting up again soon. I've been pretty busy lately, though, so we'll see how quickly this can be done.

* * *

"Sora! Have you seen Riku?" Kairi ran up to the brunet as he entered the library, looking groggy.

"What? No, I haven't seen him in a while. Why? Is he missing or something?" he asked, rubbing his face and nearly tripping over his untied shoelace.

"Um, yea. Nobody's seen him since dinner the other night. He's been missing for almost two days! Geez, you guys are best friends, how could you not notice?" She slapped him playfully on top of his head and walked away, though she couldn't help but feel a bit worried. It was really unlike Riku to just vanish, especially after acting so weird.

She sat beside Arashi, who was resting her head on the top of one of the tables. She gazed up at Kairi hopefully, but the younger girl just shook her head. "Something is definitely wrong, he wouldn't do something like this without telling me." She said sadly.

"Yea," Kairi agreed, not quite sure what to say. "It's so unlike him…"

"Why don't you two try to get some work done." Squall said sharply, slamming a book down on the table in front of the girls. "We need to know where Sephiroth is most likely hiding, so start checking some of these charts."

Kairi glared up at him but opened the book. She knew he was just being an ass because he was worried about Riku. Everyone was. She flipped through the book absently, not really registering what was on the pages. She felt lightheaded for a moment, so she set her head down on the table with Arashi, closing her eyes and wondering what was wrong with her.

"Ugh, I feel so sick. This is horrible." She grumbled to the other girl.

"Really? Still? That's not good, I know you're stressed out, but really. Has this ever happened before?" Arashi asked, flipping a small lock of her thick black hair against the table in boredom.

"No, I'm usually so good about stuff like this. I must have some kind of flu or something. Or maybe the keyblade is taking too much out of me." She opened her eyes and watched Arashi flick the hair back and forth.

"Maybe.." She mumbled softly, looking deep in thought.

"I'm hungry, let's go find some breakfast." Kairi groaned, standing quickly despite her new nausea.

Arashi shrugged, "Ok, this is really boring anyway."

They snuck quietly out of the library, leaving their friends to finish the search.

They were laughing quietly to each other when Kairi noticed the darkly hooded figure emerge into the hall. They were across the walkway from him, and he blocked the stairs ahead of them. Arashi gripped her arm in alarm when she noticed him standing there. The figure slowly looked over at them, drawing a dark, intricate keyblade as he did so.

Kairi's heart skipped a beat. "Riku..?" She stared at him in confusion. He charged.

"Riku! No!" Ansem dashed between Riku and Kairi, spear materializing and spinning dangerously as he performed a counter-attack. The keyblade was knocked to the side and Riku dodged Ansem's spear as it came down beside him.

"Riku!" Arashi screamed, darting forward past Ansem.

Kairi ran forward, too, calling Arashi back. Ansem made a wild grab for the girl but she managed to dodge him and run to Riku. He leapt back, readying for another attack. When he saw her, he seemed to hesitate, but barely long enough for Kairi and Ansem to deflect the blow he aimed for her. He leapt over them and dashed for the doors, kicking them open carelessly and disappearing.

Arashi sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Riku.. No." She collapsed against the floor. Ansem stood staring after Riku. He glanced down at Kairi quickly when she touched his arm.

"I.. felt it, just before you found him. The Heartless have him." He said quietly.

* * *

Sora's head rested in his hands and he stared at the dark tabletop before him. No matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldn't believe it. Riku returned to the Heartless? It wasn't possible, he wouldn't let that happen. Not after what Ansem did to him. The frightened, nervous voices of his friends echoed around him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He knew everyone was scared, first the King, the Yuffie, and now Riku. Some of their strongest friends, taken by the Heartless like it was nothing. He wondered for a moment how Ansem felt about it, was he afraid, too? Was he worried about the Heartless, or was he behind it? Kairi seemed to trust him totally, so he tried to push his suspicions out of his mind. She had never been wrong about anyone before, he would try to stop finding reasons to hate Ansem. That was something he could do to make her happy, after all. A strange, minty scent wafted up to him and he tried to focus on what it was. Looking forward, he realized that Kairi had set a cup of tea in front of him, and she was leaning next to him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay? You seem really shaken.." She said softly, resting a hand on his back as he leaned up and took the cup in his hands.

"Yea, I'll be fine. I just.. can't believe Riku would let this happen. He used to get really upset when I talked about the Heartless, he really hated them for what they'd done to him. I know he accepted them the first time, but I never imagined he would do it again. He must really think.. That we're going to fail or something." The various conversations around the room slowly stopped as everyone turned to look at him.

When Sora realized that everyone was listening to him, he felt rather guilty for being such a put-down. These were his friends, and they were depending on him. He stood up and slammed his fist on the table.

"Well, I know Riku won't let things end this way! Finally, the Heartless are making their move. I'm willing to bet that things are really going to heat up now, if they needed Riku they must be worried! I'm not afraid of them. Sephiroth could never beat us, as long as one keyblade stands against him!" His gaze softened as he looked down at Kairi. "And we still have two, that's twice the chance."

The room was silent for a moment until Squall's snort broke through it, "Sora, you're so.." He trailed off as Cid kicked open the room and stomped inside.

"Well kids, looks like we're stranded for now. That damn punk took the gummi ship." He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and shook his head. "Looks to me like he didn't want us following him yet. But he disabled the tracking system I installed, so I'm a little lost as to what he thinks he's doin."

"Hmm, I should go back to the dark depths.. Maybe I could hear him from there." Ansem stated hastily, turning quickly toward the door.

"Wait!" Sora called, running forward several steps. "How do we know you're not behind any of this? It's pretty suspicious, don't you think? You were the King of Heartless, but they took Riku instead! How do we know you're not just going to give him your next orders?"

Ansem turned to face him, anger rising up inside him until he saw Sora's face. His expression was blank, he wasn't challenging him, he was merely making an observation. A fairly clever one, in his opinion. He allowed a small smile to come across his face and laughed quietly. Sora was sure he was going to start another fight with him, and his body tensed involuntarily.

"Would you like to come with me?" He asked sincerely, motioning toward the doors.

Everyone started between Sora and Ansem in surprise. They had been expecting another fight, not teamwork. Kairi herself was even more surprised when Sora nodded and walked forward purposefully. He had spent the last few weeks avoiding Ansem, and now he was willing to go into the dark depths with him alone? She hoped they could at least avoid fighting until they got back.

* * *

The bright lights of the city stretched far below him as Riku lowered the gummi ship down through the atmosphere. The Heartless spoke to him, guiding him down onto the empty streets. He chose a suitable out of the way spot and landed. A slightly chilly breeze slapped him in the face as he stepped from the ship. It smelled somewhat like Destiny Islands to him, but he took no notice and walked straight down the street. He glanced up at the tall buildings around him as he went. They were mostly round, and aesthetically pleasing, with a certain style echoing throughout each design. Spires seemed very popular in this place, as most of the buildings sported one. It was a truly beautiful city.

He couldn't remember having ever seen anything like this place, though it reminded him of Traverse Town to an extent. It was brightly lit, though utterly deserted. The Heartless had definitely taken over this place, and as he walked he could see the tops of crumbling buildings ahead of him. Some lay in ruin while others stood untouched. Sephiroth must have held a certain liking for this place to leave it so intact.

He stopped walking. A shadow Heartless had appeared before him, unmoving. He glanced around, Sephiroth must be nearby. As if on cue, darkness surrounded Riku, and he felt himself falling through the cement. He couldn't feel a wind, so he knew Sephiroth was taking him into the darkness, he didn't trust him enough yet to show him the exact whereabouts of his hideout.

* * *

_'Wake up, Riku.'_

He opened his eyes. Pure darkness, as far as he could see. Where was Sephiroth? Did his master abandon him? Did he find out about Ansem's plan and think that Riku was actually going along with it?

_'Get up, Master is waiting.'_

He heard the heavy thud of footfalls nearby, but they seemed too heavy to be human. A huge, lumbering Heartless drifted into view, crouching near Riku and growling deeply. Riku coughed, rolling over onto his stomach and pushing himself off the ground and into a sitting position. The Heartless moved an arm forward, reaching for him. He took its large clawed hand and drew himself up to his feet, swaying slightly and looking around.

He noticed a dark grey path beneath him, leading off into the darkness in either direction. The Heartless's ears perked up, and soon Riku heard it too, footsteps. Someone was approaching. He expected Sephiroth, but to his surprise, a rather short dark haired girl appeared before him out of the darkness, her bright orange eyes glowing dangerously at him. 'Yuffie?' he thought to himself in surprise, but he knew better than to assume she was still the energetic ninja he knew.

"Sephiroth. That's what you wanted her for." He stated absently. She smiled wickedly at him, and the gesture made his blood turn cold.

"Yes, Riku. But after your own experience, I was sure you would expect nothing less." She waved her hand absently through the air, and Riku found it chilling how she still looked and sounded exactly the same. "But let's get right to business. You have returned to the darkness. "

"Yes, it was Ansem's plan for me to infiltrate your defenses, though I knew it would not be possible. I played along so he wouldn't suspect anything, but the closer I let myself sink toward the darkness, the more I longed to become a part of it again. Sora will never be able to stop it, the fall of the worlds is inevitable." he grinned evilly, kneeling before Sephiroth's new form.

Yuffie's hand hovered inches above his chest, making his heartless emblem burn. "Mmm, your heart has indeed been filled with darkness once again. Perhaps if you had never been infect, it would have been easier for you to deny it." She whispered, taking his face in her hands.

"I did not wish to deny it." Riku grinned, well aware of the dull shade of orange his eyes were becoming.

Yuffie's high-pitched laugh echoed throughout the darkness. "Perhaps you can convince your new partner, then."

A room came into focus around them, a vast grey hall with regal carpets covering most of the stone floor. A small amount of light filtered in through the high windows, barely lighting up the glass. The room had a chilling feeling to it.

Yuffie fell back, landing roughly against the carpet with her blank eyes staring at the wall. She blinked after a moment, then sat up, holding a hand to her head and sighing. She nearly screamed when she noticed Riku standing there watching her.

"Riku! Oh my god, what are you doing here?" She quickly stood up and faced him. "Ugh, my head." She swayed and nearly fell, still holding a hand to her head. "Geez, did you see Sephiroth? He didn't capture you too, did he?" She seem slightly panicked.

"No, he didn't capture me. I came here all by myself." He flashed his newly orange eyes at her and she froze.

"Oh.. Shit.. Not you, Riku.." She stepped back, but knew it was pointless. He moved forward faster than she could anticipate, grabbing her thin jaw in his hand.

"Shall I show you what it means to be Heartless? It's much easier once you just give in." he breathed heavily against her cheek, causing her to shudder in fear.

"Don't touch me!" She slapped him across the face, but he only tightened his grip and caught her hand before she hand time to pull away. He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, barely avoiding a vicious bite.

"That's no way to treat your partner." he purred, receiving a groan of hatred.

"You sick bastard, there's no way I'll help you." She growled defiantly.

"Ah, but you will help me, and it seems like you don't have much choice. Someone like you with such a weak heart, it's a pity. I'm sure Squall really needs you right now." He laughed as she tried desperately to kick him.

* * *

"You mean you can tune in one the Heartless' thoughts when you're in there?" Sora asked in wonder, pointing suspiciously into the swirling black and purple dark depths.

"Yes, that's certainly one way to put it." Ansem replied, almost smiling down at the brunet. He couldn't believe they had actually gotten along so far. "Actually, there's a good chance you might be able to hear them, too. You do have a keyblade." He stepped into the depths as Sora stood below contemplating what he had just told him.

He felt the boy follow several seconds later, stumbling into the darkness and nearly running into Ansem. He followed the older man through the darkness, looking around in interest. It had been a while since he had last been in here, he had forgotten how eerily vacant it seemed.

"There, Sora, can you hear it?" he whispered back to him, focusing on the soft whispers he heard in the darkness.

He listened intently, trying to hear whatever it was Ansem seemed to hear. After several minutes scattered whispers seemed to float to him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. It almost sounded like another language, were they speaking Heartless or something?

"Ansem, do the Heartless speak in another language or something? I hear whispers, but I can't understand it." he couldn't believe he was doing this.

"Hmm, interesting. I understand them perfectly. I wonder if they take precautions so the keyblade bearers cannot understand them.." Once again he seemed lost in thought, but held up his hand when Sora tried to reply.

"Wait, I can hear Riku."

Sora focused harder, trying desperately to hear his best friends voice. Certain images starting floating to him now, along with several catches of Riku's soft voice. One image caught his attention instantly.

"Yuffie! He's with Yuffie!" he said hurriedly, looking up at Ansem.

"How do you know that?" Ansem seemed surprised, apparently he had not seen the images.

"I saw it, he's looking at her now. He showed me a city, a bright, huge city. That's where they are, I think he's trying to tell me the name." he continued focusing on Riku as more images and thoughts seemed to float toward him.

"Of course, he wants you to challenge him, so he's telling you were to find him. It's always about rivalry between you two, isn't it. A city? Wait.." he remembered seeing pictures of a vast city somewhere in the library, one of the residents of Hollow Bastion claimed to have been there. What was that man's name? He couldn't remember it now..

"I think he's talking to Yuffie. What? Zanarkand? Does that sound familiar to you?" Sora looked up at Ansem's shocked face.

"Zanarkand.. Of course, why didn't I think of that? I remember it now. Sora, we need to go back to the library. I know where to look.."

* * *

**A/n:** If you haven't played Final Fantasy 10, there's no spoilers ahead, so don't worry. I'm surprised I got this chapter done so fast, maybe I'll write another one tonight. This story is almost done, there's like, two chapters left or something. Maybe I'll add a teaser for the sequel if I get it done faster than expected. 


	33. Travels

**Disclaimer: **KH belongs to Disney and Square.

Haaahaa, I'm so out of it right now, I'm not sure what's going on. I passed out earlier and I'm still kinda light headed, but I can't seem to fall asleep so I'll just write for you guys.

To the reviewers: Or more specifically _iamfinalfantasy, _the reason why Kairi has cursed the story so is because I myself have been 'knocked up', and I find it easier to focus on my writing when I have something in common with the characters. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's how the original storyline was set up.

And to my faithful _Gerbil X_, thanks for all the support, I actually dragged my poor ass out of bed to write this one for you.

To _Rubyfruit Pixie _and _Mistress-Arisu_, thanks for your reviews, and I'm really sorry this chapter took so horribly long! And thanks to any other reviewers that I missed, I love hearing from you guys.

* * *

Ansem slammed a book down on the dining room table in the middle of lunch. "Here it is, I can't believe I didn't think to open this book." He pointed at a large picture of a bright city. Everyone abandoned their food to crowd around and take a look.

Tidus wrinkled his nose after reading the title of the photo. "Zanarkand? Never heard of it.." The group ignored him.

"Cid, we're going to need a gummi ship. There should still be some broken down ones in the waterway below the castle, can you see if you can fix one up?

"No problem, I'll get right on it." He replied casually, heading for the door.

"Hold on," Ansem stopped him, looking around the room seriously. Cid stopped halfway to the door and turned around to look at him. Faces turned around the room.

"This is going to be really dangerous. This will be nothing like anything any of you have ever faced before," He said slowly, looking pointedly at Cloud. "Sephiroth is a killer, he does not know what mercy is, and he won't hesitate to extract whatever revenge against us he thinks he deserves. We can't take everyone, if anything happened I would be responsible. It's way too dangerous for this group work to continue, so we're going to have to break up the team." he looked around at the eager faces staring back at him, Sora giving him a confused glance and Squall nodding understandingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Selphie piped up, putting her hands on her hips and frowning.

"It means you can't go." Squall said shortly.

"Whaaat!" Selphie looked about ready to kill him, shaking her fist and glaring at the men in the room. "Just because us little girls can't fight so well doesn't mean we're useless! You think you're so big and bad, but we're the ones who are gonna have to come rescue you once it's all said and done!"

"Selphie." Cloud's deep voice broke through the tension, cutting her off in her rant. Her hands slowly fell to her sides in defeat as the blonde man rose from his seat to stare her down.

"This is not a game. If you go, you could endanger us all. You would most likely be used against us, tortured, turned into a heartless and left to die. Sephiroth is not an enemy to sneer at, he's a general, he knows the tactics we will use, and we have no idea how powerful he is. For the sake of this mission, you will stay here with Aerith and Arashi."

An awkward silence fell over the room as Selphie fumed silently and returned to her seat. Ansem stared around nervously, he had hoped it wouldn't have turned out like this, but leaving the girls behind was necessary. He contemplated whether or not leaving Kairi behind with them was not a bad idea. But then again, she had a special keyblade for a reason, and he was sure that that reason would present itself once they reached Zanarkand. He watched sadly as the men filed out of the room after Cid, all intent apparently on helping with the gummi ship.

* * *

"She's alright, just so you know." Sora said quietly as the rest of the team pulled away up the hall. 

"What?" Squall looked over at him questioningly.

"Yuffie, she's okay. I know you've been worried, but she's okay. Riku's with her now, he wouldn't let Sephiroth hurt her. No matter how evil he turns." He smiled at the older man. It was very rare to see Squall relaxed, but Sora was sure he came somewhat close once he heard that Yuffie was alright.

* * *

It took the boys the rest of the day to mark what they needed and drag it up to the shop above the Waterway. Cid was so busy directing where to put certain things, what to remove from what, and what to put into what, that he almost completely missed the fact that Tidus and Sora weren't actually helping, but installing laser cannons wherever they felt they might be necessary. 

"At what point do you actually expect us to need cannons on the ass end! We're the ones doing the chasing! Why don't you two do something useful and go learn how to cook! Better yet, bring me some fuckin' tea!" He threw various tools at them until they got busy moving things wherever Squall told them they needed to go.

The shop was a mess by the time Cid decided that his new workers were so incompetent that he needed to pull out a chalkboard and give them a crash course on gummi block installing. It was dark outside by the time his "crash course" was done, and Sora was sure that any knowledge he had previously had about gummi ships had long since vacated his brain.

He was just about to stand up and sneak away went the door creaked open and Kairi sulked in. She raised a weary hand at Cid and quietly told the room full of men that dinner was ready. Once the stampede had subsided she approached Cid and smiled sweetly. She didn't know him very well, but she helped him clean up for the night anyway. She just didn't want to be with everyone else right now, not even Ansem.

Cid eyed her suspiciously as she worked, cleaning off chalkboards and putting away papers and blueprints. She had just pulled the heavy toolbox over to the gummi ship to put the tools away when Cid sighed and put his hand towel down.

"What's wrong, kid? You don't belong out here, can't even be close to your comfort zone." He put a hand on his hip and watched her as she wiped a dirty hand across her face.

She just shrugged. "I just wanted to get outside and do something different for a change. That castle is big, but not big enough…"

Cid nodded absently, flicking his spent cigarette into a trash can. "I know what you mean, how do you think I feel in there? Standing around with all you kids. I'm too old to baby sit." She couldn't help but laugh as he gave her a half-hearted dirty look.

* * *

The breath caught in her throat as she panted from exhaustion, sweat dripping down her forehead onto her shirt. Her legs ached, but she felt like if she stopped running there would be no chance of escape, she was lucky enough to have slipped away from Riku while he was giving the Heartless new orders. Skidding around a corner she nearly slammed into the wall, catching her balance only to have the carpet slip from beneath her feet and send her sprawling across the floor. She didn't move for a moment, just rested there with her eyes closed panting and wheezing. How big was this fortress anyway? She groaned and rolled onto her back. 

"So you've heard then? Your little friends think they're coming to rescue you." Riku sang from above her, making her scream in surprise as her eyes flew open.

She screamed again and tried to throw herself to her feet, only to find Riku pinning her arms to the ground and leaning over her. Throwing her weight side to side she tried to break free, biting at him and cursing him. He just laughed at her efforts and hauled her none to gently to her feet.

"Sephiroth says it's time for you to learn your place." He growled into her ear.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ansem's deep voice woke Kairi from her thoughts, she shook her head and looked up at him in surprise. She stared at him blankly for a moment while she tried to fight back her nausea. He gave her a sideways look and swept his long snowy hair to the side as he kneeled next to her. "Are you sure you want to go? I could ask Cid to turn around now and take you back, it's not too late." 

She quickly shook her head, giving him a forced smile. "No, I'm fine, just kind of shaken up. I mean, you know. I want to go… I want to help." She trailed off, lost in her tangled thoughts about Riku and Yuffie.

"Okay, if you're sure." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, running his fingers through her shoulder-length red hair. "Just promise that once we get there, you won't leave my side. I will protect you, from anything."

She smiled honestly now and nodded, grabbing the hair he had neatly tucked behind one shoulder and scattering it. He just smiled back and kissed her soft lips, stopping only when he noticed Sora sitting two seats back glaring at him. He ran his fingers through her hair again and took the seat beside her, nearly jumping when she leaned her head into his shoulder. Catching his breath he mentally scolded himself, there was really no reason why he should be so jumpy around her, despite the years of solitude spent in the darkness…

It wasn't long before her breathing evened out and it was obvious that she was asleep. Ansem looked around the ship, going over tactics and plans once again in preparation. He knew Sephiroth and he knew they would have to be well prepared to have any hope of defeating him. Though at this point he wasn't so sure that defeat was necessary, if he could only regain control of the Heartless then the battle would be won. But that would require returning him to the darkness, and he wasn't sure how to do so without destroying what he had built on his already mangled existence.

He sighed, placing a gentle hand on Kairi's soft hair and gazing around the cabin at the others. Cloud sat on the floor with his huge buster sword in front of him, it almost looked like he was meditating. Leon stood in his trademark pose against a wall, staring vacantly at the floor. Tidus was asleep, Wakka was rolling his blitz ball against the wall, and he knew Sora was still seated two seats back, glaring at the back of his head. Well, he couldn't call them well prepared, but he knew they could fight, and that was what really mattered.

But then there was the matter of Kairi. She was a great fighter, but they had never actually seen her in action. None of them knew what she could do, and he wasn't willing to risk letting her go into battle without knowing if she could handle it. Of course, he had enough experience with women to know that babying her would only lead to her disappearing to fight alone, or even worse, she might be convinced that her Keyblade was the key to winning the battle, and she might try to face Sephiroth alone. He would probably be so insulted at being faced by a little girl that he wouldn't even bother fighting her. None of the options were particularly appealing, he just hoped she would work with the team well enough that they wouldn't have to see how good she could be.

"I hope you kids are ready back there, we're here!" Cid hollered back from the front of the ship. Ansem jumped and grabbed Kairi as the ship jolted out of warp. Kairi shook her head and looked around.

"We're here already..?" She asked groggily, getting to her feet and shuffling toward the front of the ship.

A new planet could be seen out the window, a dark blue mass covered in flickering lights.

"Woooow, it's really beautiful…"

* * *

A/n: Sorry it was so short, I'll try to write the next one soon to make up for it. Had some problems with everything lately, and things are calming down finally. I'm really sorry it took so long. I hope this turns out okay, it only wanted to let me post half of the chapter at first, so I had to paste in the second half. If it's screwy can somebody let me know? I'm too tired to try to fix any problems right now. 


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